


Fast Times in Liberty City

by renfield31



Category: Grand Theft Auto IV, Grand Theft Auto Series (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, If you enjoy 20 and 30somethings acting like high schoolers, Niko is a little silly, also sad things towards the end, and Roman is Roman, lottttts of sex, sort of like American Pie but dksfsljdf, then this is the fic for you
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-06
Updated: 2019-10-15
Packaged: 2020-08-10 11:26:32
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 10
Words: 60,555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20134684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/renfield31/pseuds/renfield31
Summary: As Niko and Roman go through life trying to get laid, they find out something about themselves, something about their girls and learn to slow down and enjoy life, especially when something tragic happens...





	1. Gooooooood Morning, Liberty City!

**Author's Note:**

> This is a sliiightly different take on GTA IV, but I figure the game at its core is just Niko and Roman going on bro-esque adventures, so I took my best shot at injecting more humor and sexy fun into a violent game. Hope you enjoy!
> 
> Also note: I am American, but I'll use European terms occasionally, such as football for soccer, to simulate how Niko and Roman talk. :)
> 
> Serbian translations:
> 
> rođak = cousin
> 
> Ekspresna isporuka = special delivery
> 
> Za tebe = for you

"Goooooooooooooooood MORNING, Liberty City! It's 8:26 a.m. on Friday, July 17th, 2009! Is going to be a beaut-i-ful 83 degrees as we focus here on Niko Bellic, the big man!" The camera zoomed in and out on Niko eating a bowl of Big Logs at the kitchen table in the boys’ Middle Park East apartment. "Will he finally bang Kate McReary, his Irish damsel in distress, tonight?? Find out tonight on another riveting episode of The Bellic Boys in Liberty City!"

"Roman, turn that stupid camera off. That's my sweater, by the way."

Roman looked down at the beige sweater with dual black and white lines that Niko had bought at Modo last year. "Hey, when you first got here, I said what's mine is yours, so therefore, what's yours is mine! It’s the trans-i-tive property!"

Niko stared at his cousin blankly. He always did this; used these huge mathematical and scientific words in an attempt to sound smart. "Do you even know what the transitive property is, Roman? It means that if you have two things that are equal to each other and the second thing is equal to a third thing, then the first thing is also equal to the third thing."

Now it was Roman's turn to stare at his cousin with a lost look on his face. "Okay, Niko? This is why Kate won't sleep with you. American women don't like nerds."

"They don't?" Niko looked at Roman with a quizzical look on his face.

"No! Look at Mallorie! Does she bang me because I love Impotent Rage?"

"But you _ do _ love Impotent Rage, Roman. And you build erector sets. You are a nerd."

"But I keep it on the _ down low _ , NB! Mallorie has never _ seen _ me build an erector set or watch Impotent Rage! I keep that shit to myself! _ You, _however, keep spouting off about this transitive property nonsense in public in front of Kate and it’s causing you not to get laid and causing a rift in the space-time continuum!"

Niko couldn't do anything but continue to stare at Roman. 

"Besides, I'd rather be a nerd than a murderer," Niko's dark-haired cousin said quietly. The quieter Serb didn't know what to say to that, so he just looked down.

"That's another reason why I haven't gotten laid..."

"Why? Too busy killing?"

"No...Kate doesn't deserve to have her virginity taken by someone like me. She deserves to have it taken by a good, honest Irishman."

"NB, you two have been going steady for a year. She loves you and you love her. You gotta keep that confidence up! Now come on, let’s get to work. Mallorie is waiting for us. I can't wait to see what she's wearing today!"

Niko rolled his eyes. "Speaking of which, change into one of your own shirts. I don't want your disgusting chest hair on mine."

Roman rolled his eyes. "Fine..." And changed into a black v-neck t-shirt that showed off his new muscles; Roman had started (with Niko’s and Brucie’s help) working out to, as he claimed, “get in shape for the wedding.” Most workout sessions ended with Roman crying that the weights were too heavy, but he’d made some progress.

* * *

"Okay, enough moody shit, enough nerd shit. WHEN are you going to do it with Kate?" Roman asked as the cousins crossed the Algonquin Bridge. Usually Niko drove, but they were taking one of Roman's cabs and Roman, although he normally loved how fast Niko drove, didn’t want his hard-earned cars totaled.

"Roman, you've asked me that a hundred times. Kate's saving it for marriage."

"No she isn't."

Niko looked at him. "What do you mean?"

"I've dealt with women like Kate before. Get them drunk enough or sweet talk them enough and they'll put out!"

"I'm not getting Kate drunk just to sleep with her!"

"I'm not saying that, cousin. Even you aren't that evil."

"Gee, thanks."

"Look, invite her to Brucie's party tonight. You...ARE coming to Brucie's party tonight, right?"

"Well...I don't know, we'll see what Kate wants to do."

Roman rolled his eyes and chuckled. "She has you whipped, cousin!"

"Mallorie's got you whipped too, man! We can't go drink vodka no more because" he holds his fingers to his ear like a phone. "'Sorry cousin, Mallorie wants me to take her to dinner tonight.'"

"Hey, this isn't about me, okay? I'm getting laid. I don't need an intervention!"

"I need an intervention? Because I respect what my woman wants, I need an intervention?"

"Yes! Well, what are you planning to do with her tonight?"

He shrugged. "I don't know...go to her place, I guess. The boys will probably be out and her mother asleep--"

"PERFECT!" 

Niko closed his eyes. "Damn it...should not have said that."

"If you EVER had a chance to score with Kate, it's tonight, Niko."

"In her FAMILY'S home? Did I mention she has four brothers that'll kick my ass if they found out I of all people took her innocence from her?"

"Three. Remember? You killed the heroin junkie and kept the corrupt cop alive."

Niko looked down, closing his eyes, thinking of the late Derrick McReary. Roman knew.

"You still haven't told Kate about that, have you?"

"I can't, Rom..."

"NB, you're gonna have to tell her sooner or later. You can't get laid without being honest. Shit, Mallorie won't even let me touch her titties unless I tell her what I did that day."

They rode in silence for a bit.

"Have you told her anything about you?"

"Whenever I try to, she says that she knows what I am. I'm like her brothers."

"Well...that makes your job a _bit _easier, but...just be honest, all right, NB? Makes you feel good and besides, chicks love honesty. Gets them in bed easier."

Niko rolled his eyes.

"Now back to serious business: WHEN are you gonna do it with Kate?"

"Look, it's gonna happen, all right? We're on third base!"

Roman raised an eyebrow at him and Niko quickly confessed.

"Okay, two and a half."

"You've touched her titties?"

"Of course."

Roman scoffed. "She probably kept her bra on."

"Sex with a girl like Kate can't be just sex, Roman. It has to be perfect. The right time, the right place, the right...everything. Kate’s an old-fashioned girl and I’m an old-fashioned guy. It works out."

"Well luckily for you, it's summer, so it's the perfect time for NOT being old-fashioned. Beach parties on Firefly Island, summer nights, girls on the beach, girls, girls, girls!"

Niko smiled slightly and shook his head. "What about Mallorie on the beach, Mallorie, Mallorie, Mallorie?"

"Well her for me, but I'm talking about YOU, cousin! We need to make this your summer of love, buddy! Kate is gonna be yours!"

"She's already mine."

"Not physically."

Niko shook his head. “What about you, _ rođak? _You’ve been engaged for a year and still no wedding. My mother is growing irritated.”

“It’s gonna happen!” Roman imitated Niko’s reedy voice and smirked. He caught a glimpse of Niko’s stare and his smile faded. “We’re still planning it, you know that. It’s just...taking a little longer than expected.”

“You mean you, how do Americans say it? Have cold feet."

"Hey, I do _ not _have cold feet! We're just still planning everything."

"Mmhm." 

They finally made it to Iroquois in Hove Beach as Roman pulled into the garage. 

"I don't get what attracts women to you anyway, Roman. Oh wow, you run a cab depot. REAL chick magnet."

"Hey, you hear Mohammed when he picks you up! These babies get me pussy!" Roman said as they got out of the Esperanto. Niko rolled his eyes.

"Whatever you say, man."

The cousins went into the office where Mallorie sat at the desk doing some paperwork. She looked up and smiled at Roman as he came in, standing up and giving him a peck on the lips.  
  
"Hiiii Papi. Hey Niko!"

"Hey Mal."

"Wha' gwan, rasta?" Little Jacob came out of the bathroom and he and Niko slapped hands.

"Heeey Jacob!"

After the events of last year, Roman thought it would be beneficial to get Niko's criminal friends into gainful employment. Little Jacob was quickly turning into his best employee. It wasn't like the Rastafarian had anything better to do and Roman didn't care if he hotboxed in one of his cabs, as long as he was getting fares done, which he was; he had the highest number of deliveries out of Roman, Niko and Packie combined. Yes, even Packie had been convinced to become a driver. Gerald had just gotten out of prison and sometimes did some fares too.

Niko took his seat behind the desk between Mallorie and his cousin, who sat at the computer and looked at him with a "can I help you?" face.

"Did I say you could come back here?"

"No, but you said I have an equal share in Bellic Enterprises..."

"Until you sleep with Kate, you go in front of the desk."

"...I'm your cousin."

"In front! Of! The desk!"

Niko sighed and smiled at Mallorie and got up and moved to the other side. Mallorie rolled her eyes.

"You know, Roman, maybe Niko just _loves_ and _respects _Kate and wants to wait until she's ready to have sex with him!"

"God, I love how you say my name..."

Roman and Mallorie looked at each other lustfully before lunging at each other, kissing sloppily, leaving Niko and Jacob to exchange uncomfortable glances. Luckily, Roman broke away long enough to give them their assignments for the day, thrusting keys at them.

"Go do some fares and leave us alone. And that means _fares_, NB! Don'r use my cab to drive to Dukes to see your Irish virgin."

Niko saluted sarcastically with two fingers and left.

* * *

Niko wanted to drive straight to the community center to see Kate, but he placed loyalty to Roman above all, even in small things like working for him, so true to his word, he did a few fares around Hove Beach, Schottler and South Slopes. He got lunch at S'wish Pizza after the last South Slopes fare. He wasn't too crazy about pizza in general. He just liked the black carryout boxes. He pulled out his phone while he ate and looked at his text messages with Kate.

He hadn't been lying to Roman about being on second base. Kate wasn't as innocent as everyone thought she was. They'd sexted and even tried their hand at phone sex, though she claimed not to have masturbated and both of them felt pretty awkward. Even when they didn't have phone sex, when he called late at night, their conversations got pretty intimate. She even admitted to him she wished he was in bed with her holding her, but then they'd joke that Packie and Gerald would kick his ass. He didn't know why they didn't trust him. He understood that Kate was their sister and they wanted to protect her at all costs, but he reassured them time and time again that he only had the best intentions with Kate and that he loved her. Late at night was the only time they could really talk besides texting and dates; they both worked during the day and she still took care of her mother at night. He always called her when his past was hitting him particularly bad. Her beautiful voice in his ear was all he needed to hear.

Niko smiled looking back at their old texts. They didn't text a lot--only short little messages throughout the day--so he found himself on the paragraph he had written to her on Valentine's Day.

_ "Kate...do not celebrate Valentines Day in old country so do not know much and also not good at texting, u know that lol. But I need to tell u something: I love u. I have loved u since the day I first met u. And I want us 2 b...Mallorie says its called "exclusive" so...I want us 2 b that. I kno I have been taking u out since we met but I want them 2 b dates as boyfriend/girlfriend. I love u Kate and I think I want 2 spend the rest of my life with u." _

He cringed at his spelling errors. He still wasn't any good at texting and didn't like it, but he tried because everyone he knew texted and it was convenient. He thought back to that Valentine's Day. It had taken a few months, but they'd finally had their first kiss that night. He took her to Drusilla's. She said she'd meet him there after work. She walked into the restaurant and sat across from him and his breath was completely taken away by how beautiful she looked with her hair down. She wore a beautiful lavender dress with an Irish necklace around her neck. She was blushing uncontrollably; he could tell she didn't go out much like this or wear many formal clothes, but it made him love her even more. 

At Roman's suggestion, he'd bought her flowers and a box of chocolates. He drove her back to the McReary's place and there in his gray Buccaneer, they'd had their first kiss. Well, it started as a kiss, but when he wanted more, Kate didn't refuse. In fact, she wanted it too. With the radio on JNR, the jazz station, they made out softly with tongues caressing, not caring if Packie or Gerry or her mother were watching. She didn't care who he was. She knew who he was; just like her brothers: a criminal, a killer, a hired gun. And here she was kissing him. Niko had never been religious, but he knew someone up there must like him despite everything he'd done if he was getting this amazing kiss that he never wanted to end from this beautiful woman. 

From then on, the relationship became serious. They reached second base in June at one of Brucie's beach parties on Firefly Island. Her breasts were everything he imagined; round and firm. He even found the way she denied him sexy; whenever his hand went lower while they made out, she moved it back to her breasts or wherever she wanted him to touch, but kept her lips against his. She was perfect for him in every way. He had realized this a year ago, but the realization became clearer and clearer that he had to live for her. He couldn't let himself be killed; that would mean never seeing her again.

Niko loved her and was patient, but there were times lying awake late at night in the Middle Park East apartment, especially when Roman wasn't home, when he thought about her hands and lips all over his body and love being made in every square inch of that apartment...and then if she wanted more, he'd take her to his Northwood apartment and love her on his pool table...

Niko came to and realized he was in a public place and got up and threw away his food. He pulled up to a flower shop in Hove Beach, but just as he was about to get out, he got a call on the CB from Roman asking him to pick up a customer in Bohan. He groaned, but accepted. He was always in need of money.

After he dropped the customer off in Northern Gardens, he stopped at a flower shop in Boulevard and bought a bouquet of blue delphiniums, Kate's favorite flower, then drove back to the community center in Dukes. He checked his appearance and got out and entered. Lots of little kids were running around. He checked his watch and had forgotten it was still lunchtime for the kids from Meadows Park Elementary that always came to the community center to eat and play games. Niko waited outside until they left, checking emails on his phone. Roman had downloaded some games for him, but they were too hard for him to play. 

Eventually, the kids cleared out and Niko went inside to the reception desk where Kate worked.

_"Ekspresna isporuka!"_

Kate smiled. She wasn't fluent in Serbian yet, but ekspresna isporuka let her know that Niko was bringing her flowers. And sure enough, when she looked up, he was sitting on her desk holding out the bouquet.

"_Za tebe,"_ he smiled charmingly. Kate smiled too as she smelled them.

"You always know the right flowers to bring me..." she smiled and kissed him quickly.

"I know blue is your favorite color! How is work?"

"Oh, not bad...the kiddos just left and all is quiet again, thank God."

He chuckled. "Is good that you work with them though. I see how you are with them."

Kate noticed his genuine smile. She never thought she'd make a good mother, but Niko moved something in her. She saw herself raising a family with him, something she never thought she'd be able to do with anyone.

"So what's your night looking like?" Niko asked.

Kate sat down and kept going through papers. "Isn't that steroid junkie friend of Roman's having a party tonight?"

"Yeah, but...you don't want to go to Brucie's parties."

Kate looked at him. "I don't?"

"Things get...wild."

"Well...do you wanna go?"

"Roman wants me to."

"Do YOU want to?"

"Eh..."

Kate rolled her eyes. Besides murdering people, indecisiveness was one of Niko's worst traits.

"What are Packie and Gerry doing tonight?"

Kate stood up. "They're going out doing God knows what. And Ma goes to bed around eight. So come over and we'll watch a movie." She kissed him softly but lingering on the lips. "I gotta go. Meeting. Roman probably wants you back at the depot too. Love you."

"Love you." With that, she turned and walked away. Niko watched her petite ass sway as she left, Roman's words about getting laid tonight ringing in his head.


	2. Making Moves

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Serbian:
> 
> Si lagao = you lied
> 
> Plave loptice = blue balls

Loud rap music blasted throughout Boabo and probably the whole city could hear it as well. Brucie's parties were legendary. Maybe not Maisonette 9 legendary, but everyone who was anyone in Broker and Dukes showed up if they wanted a frat-tastic Friday night filled with alcohol, women and music.

The party was already raucous when Roman and Mallorie showed up. Brucie, shirtless as usual, was already intoxicated when the doorbell rang and it took him a while to get there because he took shots with Steve and a few other partygoers before making his way to the front door.

"RBBBBBBBB!!!!"

"BRUCIE, MAN!! WHAT'S UP??"

The Slav and the Jew slapped hands and and headbutted and chest bumped.

"Where's NB? Hey Mal!"

"Uh...he's...he's coming!"

"He's out with the virgin, isn't he?" Mallorie rolled her eyes at this. She loved Kate and respected her choice--though she didn't agree with the reason she was saving it, not being religious at all--and couldn't figure out why all the men in her life except for Niko (though she had her doubts about him) didn't.

"Yeah...yeah, he is. But he'll be here!"

Brucie shook his head. "Boy needs to get the shrink wrap off his dick. You're his cousin, man! You're supposed to pull his ass together on shit like this!"

"According to him, it's gonna happen tonight and he's gonna be here afterwards, chill out, man!"

Brucie looked at him for a bit before he decided the Serb was telling the truth. "All right, man." They slapped hands. "Let's get some booze!"

* * *

Niko pulled up to the McReary's place around 8:30, already in the mood after listening to a few sexy songs on The Vibe. He turned off his Buccaneer and smoothed his hair in the rearview mirror. He opened his glove compartment and pulled out a tiny bottle of emergency cologne and spritzed himself before looking up at the roof of his car.

"Dear God, please let this be it. Please?"

He got out and went to the front door and rang the doorbell. Kate had just put her mother to bed when it sounded. 

"Shit, he's here!" she hissed. She took off her white blouse, revealing her black camisole. She was determined to stay a virgin until marriage, but Niko was so easy to tease and she liked how the camisole made her breasts look bigger. She fixed her hair into its usual ponytail and checked her makeup and opened the door.

"There he is, my Balkan bad boy," she smiled as Niko smiled that smile that made her melt.

"Helloo," Niko came in, cupped her face and they started to make out as he came in and pressed her against the entryway wall. Niko was in awe; she was tasting good and she was looking good. If it didn't happen tonight, Roman would kill him. 

Eventually, and reluctantly on her part, Kate broke the kiss, but she wasn't too worried; there'd be plenty of time to kiss his thin yet moist lips (and nibble on his delicious bottom lip) during the movie. 

"Come on, I picked out some movies and made popcorn!" she took his hand and led him into the kitchen.

* * *

Roman and Mallorie fed each other alcohol as the music blared. They'd found a little corner of Brucie's place to make out and drink in until Mallorie finally took him by the hand and led him into the kitschy-style master bedroom. There, they kissed slowly and sexily in front of the bed as she unbuttoned his shirt and moved her hands up his stomach and hairy chest, loving how much weight he lost, the two lovers giggling against each other's lips. 

"I can't wait to do this on our wedding night..." Mallorie smiled against his lips, licking his tongue.

With that, Roman broke the kiss, leaving Mallorie confused.

"What's wrong, Papi?" she nipped his lips, her arms around his neck.

"Uh...Mal...um...don't you want to wait a while until we get married?"

Mallorie stared at her fiancé blankly. "Roman, we've been engaged for a year."

"Yeah I know, but...Mallorie, think about it. Are we really ready to get married? I mean, we still go to parties like this..."

She lowered her arms. "So...what you're really saying is...you're not ready to commit to me."

Roman quickly shook his head. "No, beautiful, I'm not saying that..."

"Jesus, Roman! Do you even love me??"

"Ah...see, you can't...really ask me that."

Mallorie raised her voice as tears started to stream down her face. "I better fucking be able to ask you that, you're my fiancé!" She ripped off her ring. "You know what, take your goddamned ring and don't talk to me until you've grown the hell up!"

With that, she threw the ring down at his feet and left, leaving Roman rooted to the spot in the middle of the room.

* * *

“Why did you pick a musical? You know I hate musicals."

"You hate everything, what's your point?"

"You hate everything too, A and B, I like you."

Niko spooned Kate on the couch as they watched one of her favorite musicals, _ Gold Diggers of 1933, _and fed each other popcorn. They had to make two bowls because Niko loved his popcorn smothered in butter, while she liked hers with just a little bit. 

"I don't get old musicals. They spend 25% of the movie talking and 80% in these long, drawn-out musical sequences," Niko watched the movie, confused.

"You have to think of it in context of the time period. In the 30s, talkies had just started so they were experimenting with this new medium of sound in movies."

"You're dating the wrong cousin. Roman's the film buff."

She smiled and turned to him. "But Roman is not buff. Therefore, I picked the _ right _ cousin," and kissed him slowly with tongue as they began to make out. His hands went up her back, feeling her soft, creamy skin through the thin fabric of her camisole. Really, he didn't need to sleep with her; just feeling her skin was thrilling. 

Kate giggled against Niko's lips. "Don't tell Packie," she murmured, crossing her arms at the bottom of her camisole and lifting it up slowly. Niko smiled and bit his lip, watching. Was it finally happening? Her breasts were about to be revealed to him when...

"Katie?"

Kate dropped the fabric and closed her eyes.

"Shit..." she mouthed as Niko silently chuckled. She let her camisole fall back down as she got up to see her mother standing on the kitchen threshold.

"Ma! Uh...I was just...watching the movie."

"Oh...I heard someone else's voice..."

Kate shook her head pursing her lips. "Nope, must've been the TV."

Suddenly, there was a thud as Niko slipped and fell off the couch.

"Ow..."

Kate sighed and put a hand on her forehead and shook her head. Maureen leaned forward with a curious look in her eyes.

"Nicholas?"

Niko rubbed his head and cursed silently in Serbian and scrambled to his feet. He thought about correcting her on his name, but felt that would be disrespectful to the elderly. Besides, she was technically right; Nicholas was his name in English.

"Uh...hi, Mrs. McReary..."

"Niko and I were just leaving, Ma."

"We were?" Niko looked at Kate confused, while Kate looked at him with a look that pressured him to come up with an excuse. "Oh...yes, we were. Uh...my cousin is having a bowling party."

"Oh...okay, well, get my daughter home before midnight!"

He nodded and smiled. "Yes ma'am!"

Kate rolled her eyes. "Ma, I'm not 16 anymore, I'll be fine if stay out past midnight."

"You can't take chances, Katherine! You know what happened in this city last year!"

Kate rolled her eyes again. "Whatever you say, Ma," and put her white sweater on and they left, closing the brown front door behind them. She turned to Niko and scolded him in a hushed voice.

"You're 30 years old and you still fall off couches, are you kidding me?" she power-walked towards his Buccaneer.

"Your mother put plastic on it! My ass doesn't do well with plastic! Why IS there plastic on there?"

"We used to have a dog. Hey, let's go to Brucie's party," she said as they got in.

Niko groaned silently. "Why?"

"Because it's Friday night, I'm Irish and I wanna get drunk."

He raised an eyebrow at her.

"There’ll probably be vodka."

He chuckled. "What is that, an incentive?"

"I know I have to..." she kissed him sexily as hell. "...convince you sometimes," she ran a finger down his lips.

"You know what else would be a good incentive..."

Kate sighed and removed her arms from his neck. _ Here we go again. _

"Baby, I've been patient..."

"I know you have, Niko. I know. And I want to too, believe me. Don't think I don't want to. But I just...I can't. Not until we're married. It...it's not even just being Catholic, it...I'd be letting Ma down and Daddy down. Yeah, he was an angry drunk, but...I was his little girl who could do no wrong."

Niko immediately felt guilty. He should have known this. Kate had told him her parents' view of her. "I'm not ready to settle down just yet, but...if you know I'm the one and I know you're the one, why don't we? Why can't we make love?"

She put her arms around his neck again. No matter how annoying he was about wanting to have sex, she couldn't stay mad at him. He was too charming. "You know, if you put a ring on my finger, you can speed up the process..."

Niko smiled his charming smile as she kissed him slowly with tongue. "I see Francis taught you how to negotiate."

"Mhm, it's pretty much the only thing Francis could teach me."

Niko chuckled and they kept making out in his car in front of the house, not caring if Packie and Gerry arrived home or if Maureen saw. Kate broke the kiss.

"Although..." she rubbed his chest through his shirt. "we're on second, soo...tonight I might be inclined to...give you a little something?" she rubbed his bulge through his pants, making his eyes light up and causing him to smile. "And maybe you can give me a little something..." she took his hand and had him rub her pussy through her jeans. Niko leaned in and kissed her hotly, both of them smiling as she felt herself being laid on her back, her head on the passenger's seat.

"Why not now?" the European kissed her neck.

"Mmmh...not like this..." she pushed him back up, her lips still glued to his. "Not bent over your glove compartment where I can feel your fucking pistol in my spine."

Niko laughed and pulled out the pistol. "You know, when we finally do it, I'll run it down your body..." he ran the cool muzzle of the gun down her throat as she closed her eyes and shivered. They made out passionately.

"Like...sorry, Ma, I'm going to a party with my ridiculously hot Eastern European boyfriend..."

They smiled as they made out. "Mmm and we'll _ definitely _ be out past midnight..."

She smiled. "Come on, let's go!"

* * *

The party at Brucie's was even more wild when they showed up. Brucie had grown tired of getting up and answering the door every time the bell rang, so he left it unlocked. He still noticed when Niko and Kate walked in.

"NBBBBBBBBB!!!!! FUCKING FINALLY!!!!!" The steroid junkie pumped his arms up and sped over to the Serb and the Irish woman and slapped hands with Niko and introduced himself to Kate and handed them both red solo cups filled with alcohol: vodka for Niko and Bailey's for Kate.

"Nice to meet you, Kate. NB, man, what was the fucking holdup?"

Niko nodded towards Kate. "This one."

"Screw you!" she laughed. He smiled. He loved how easily they could tease each other.

"Where is Roman?"

"Ahh somewhere bein' miserable. Some shit happened between him and his girl."

"Oh great, what now?"

"I don't know. Go find him and ask."

Kate nodded. "I should go find Mallorie then." Niko nodded and she kissed him and disappeared among the partygoers. Niko did the same and found Bernie, who was excited to see him, as usual.

"Neeks!"

"Hey Bernie! I didn't know you were cool enough to get invited to these parties!"

"Oh sweetie, there's a reason I'm here. The host has the hots for me!"

Niko raised an eyebrow trying not to laugh. "Is that so?"

Bernie nodded excitedly. 

"That's funny because Brucie once told me he was attracted to Roman."

Bernie looked flabbergasted. "WHAT????"

Niko burst out laughing as Bernie went to go find Brucie, calling out "BRUCIE HONEY!!!"

Niko shook his head and sipped his vodka. "Fucking loser." 

He kept making his way through the crowd until he reached the sliding door to the porch and saw Roman sitting on the step drinking beer. _ Uh oh, _ Niko thought. _ Beer is his sad drink. _

Niko went outside. "Hey _ rođak." _

Roman turned to see who was speaking to him. "Oh. Hey man."

Niko sat next to him. "So what did you do now?"

"She asked me if I love her."

Niko raised his eyebrows at him. “Well? Do you?"

When Roman didn't answer, he added, "You fucking ought to, Rom, you're marrying her."

"Not anymore." Roman held up the ring. Niko's eyes widened and he let out a low whistle.

"That bad, huh?"

Roman nodded slowly. "What do I do, cousin?"

"Tell her you love her. You DO love her, right?"

"Of course I do!" 

"Then go tell her!"

Roman grabbed the beer he was drinking. "Let's go!"

Mallorie and Kate watched as their men came back inside. "Ugh, he is SO cute..." Mallorie bit her lip looking at Roman. "But..."

"Yeah, what happened with him?"

She sighed. "We were making out and everything and then all of a sudden he stops and I think he's gonna come up with some cheesy Serbian pickup line like he always does, right? But instead he goes 'so don't you want to wait a while until we get married?'"

Kate looked stunned. "Seriously?? You've been engaged for a year! I hate when men say that. YOU'RE the one that proposed!"

"Right?? Speaking of which: you and Niko." She waggled her eyebrows.

Kate giggled. "He wants it. I know he wants it, he makes it clear he wants it. Sex, I mean. And...I want it too, Mal, don't get me wrong. I _ want _him to take my virginity, but..."

"Jesus told you not to until you're married."

Kate scowled at her. She hated when people phrased it like that. "I wouldn't say it like that, but...yes. And also...you didn't grow up the only girl in a family of criminal brothers and a mother and father who expect you to be the perfect, pure little girl."

Mallorie nodded. "I'm sorry..."

"It's fine."

Roman, Niko and Brucie stood on the opposite side of the room, Roman and Niko eye fucking their girls. 

"So, NB, she out yet?" Brucie asked.

"What?"

"Your girl, did she put out?"

Niko rolled his eyes and sighed. "No, Brucie, she didn't."

"You told me it would happen tonight, NB. _ Si lagao." _

"Hey, I'm not finished! Third base is coming soon!"

"And why should we believe that?"

"She told me it would."

Roman and Brucie shook their heads. "Teasing you, NB. That's all she's doing."

They look at her from across the room. "She's a closet nympho," Brucie declared.

"How do you mean?"

"Redheads are always nymphos."

"He's right, NB," Roman agreed.

"Yeah?"

"Would I lie to you, cousin?"

"Trust me, NB. Make her put out, she'll want it three times a day!"

'Yeah?" As Niko looked at Kate, who smiled at him. He smiled back. But then he turned his attention to Roman.

"Enough about me, when are YOU gonna apologize to Mallorie?"

"Now!" Roman looked at Mallorie and became nervous. "Now...NOW...yeah...now...come on, NB."

Niko and Roman walked over to their girls.

"Hey Mal. Uh..." He sat down next to her putting an arm around her. "I'm sorry, okay? About earlier." He kissed her temple and her cheek.

Mallorie tried to resist him at first, but he was being so adorable that she couldn't. Still, she kept her resolve strong.

"You have a lot of work to do."

"It's the weekend, baby!"

"Not _ that _kind of work, you fucking idiota! Relationship work!"

"Oh, Roman...don't you know you have to put _ effort _ into relationships? No, you wouldn't, because you're still fat even though you work out now," Kate teased.

"Oooooooh!" Niko wasn't going to lie; Kate's jabs at Roman always turned him on. She was a good ball-buster. Niko figured it came from growing up with four brothers. She did it to Packie all the time too.

"Yeah no wonder blue is your favorite color, Kate, since you love giving my cousin blue balls!"

"Okay, you have to admit that was a good one," Niko pointed out.

"Hey!" Kate lightly smacked Niko's chest, making him laugh. She laughed too and they started to make out while Roman and Mallorie talked beside them.

"Anyway, Roman...I forgive you, but until you can grow up, the engagement's off and we're just friends."

"Friends with benefits?"

_ "Friends." _

Roman kept trying. "The kind of friends that go on dates?" he waggled his eyebrows.

Mallorie couldn't help but smile. Persistence was Roman's best and worst quality. She ran a perfectly manicured hand slowly down his lips and over his goatee.

"Friends..." she whispered against his lips and kissed him sexily before getting up, making sure he got a good view of her curves and ass.

"You can't just kiss me like that and say we'll just be friends,” he looked her up and down in her sexy cocktail dress. “Especially not when you’re wearing that to walk out of my life.”

She ran a finger over his lips again. "Oh honey...I actually can. And I’m not walking out of your life." She smirked and walked away. Niko raised his eyebrows.

"Who's got _ plave loptice _now, cousin?"

"She'll be back. In the meantime..." a beautiful blonde walked past him and smiled as he checked out her ass. Roman let out a low whistle.

"So many lovely ladies, eh, Niko? Niko?" he looked to his right to see that his cousin and Kate were gone. He threw his hands up.

"Great. Now I have no wingman."

Bernie slid onto the couch next to him, smiling. Roman didn't look at him.

"Go away, Florian."

Bernie's smile faded and he left.

* * *

Only the lamp was on as Niko and Kate made out in front of the bed hungrily. Step one was to undo her ponytail. Niko had succeeded in that and was now running his hands through her fire red hair. The next step was to get her naked. She wanted that too as she unzipped his jacket and caressed his chest and arm muscles through his orange shirt. He was just the right amount of muscular for her; not a beefcake like Brucie, but sexily toned with a decent six-pack, which she caressed when she took off his shirt. She took off her blouse and camisole and they both fiddled with the buttons on each other's jeans. 

Finally, they were in their undergarments as she got on the pillows and he followed. Her chest rose as he kissed down her stomach. She was waiting till marriage, but why the fuck was it so hard to say no to him? He started to pull down her lacy blue panties when she stopped him. He internally rolled his eyes. _ Great. Here we go again. _

"You always take care of me. Why don't I take care of you, Daddy-o?"

He smiled. That was a nice change of pace and he liked where this was going. She flipped on top slowly and kissed his abs and v-lines. Niko couldn't do anything but watch in wonder. Behind closed doors, she wasn't a good girl at all and he was glad he was privy to that.

Kate smiled up at him and lowered his boxers ever so slowly, kissing down his shaft as it was revealed to her. Niko threw his head back on the pillow as little moans escaped his lips. Was she sure she was a virgin? Maybe she'd had a drunken fling in college and just didn't remember because there was no way she was a beginner at this, the way she was loving his member.

Her lips suddenly came up off his penis and kissed his lips again as she started to give him a handjob. She loved his breathy gasps against her lips, but stopped, sighing embarrassed.

"This is so awkward..." she smiled shyly, looking away. Niko wasn't even mad; this was his favorite look of hers, when her red hair highlighted her flushed red cheeks. He brushed a strand away.

"That's because you're not used to it."

She turned back to him smiling a suggestive smile. "Well, maybe I need you to..." she slowly took off her panties. "Show me how it's done?"

Niko smiled as she lay back down on the pillows. "All right, you taking notes?"

Kate giggled. "Mmhm!"

He started off by trailing a finger over her chest, bra and stomach before having his lips follow the same pattern. He kissed the tiny fronds of pubic hair on her mound and smiled slightly when her mound rose to meet his lips. He traveled lower and her thighs held his head in place and he started to feast on her tight pink pussy. She let out a cry and a moan as her hands went above her head to grip the headboard. He kept his eyes on her as he licked her slit up and down over and over again.

"Ah...ah...Niko!!"

“Just let me know when…”

“Okay…”

He ate her out for a while, kissing, sucking and licking her clit while she grabbed the headboard and moaned, thrilling him beyond what he imagined. 

Some time later, she was moaning uncontrollably.

“Ohhhh...ohhhhh Niko...now!!”

He released his tongue and looked down at her, smiling as she writhed on the bed, moaning as her very first orgasm overtook her. He felt a feeling he didn’t expect to feel: pride. He was proud that he was the first man to make her cum like this, the first man to make her feel all these emotions.

Kate’s orgasm ended and she seemed to come to her senses, looking around as if she just woke up.

“Holy...holy shit, did I just…”

Niko nodded. “Mmhm, you did it, baby!”

He was afraid of what her next emotion would be, but to his relief, she smiled excitedly and hugged him.

“Take me back to Ma’s place.”

He stared at her stunned. But they were having so much fun…

“...What?”

“Just do it! I promise there’ll be something good for you waiting there.” She smirked and he smiled and they quickly got dressed and left the party.

When they got back to the McReary’s, Packie’s red Comet was there. _ Shit, _ Kate silently cursed. _ Niko deserves this, though. And I want to do it. _

Niko parked in his usual spot outside the front door and turned to Kate.

“Well…”

Kate smiled and leaned towards him. “Hey.”

She slowly kissed him. Niko loved it; it felt exactly like their first kiss. He felt her hands wandering down to his belt.

“Kate, what are you doing?”

“I told you there’d be something in it for you!”

And she unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock and bent over.

“Kate...Kate, what are you...ahhhhh that tickles!”

Just at that moment in Packie’s room, the youngest McReary brother heard voices and pulled himself away from _ Righteous Slaughter 3 _ and wheeled his desk chair over to the window to see who it was. He pulled back the blinds and his eyes widened to see what looked like his sister giving head to Niko. At least, he thought it was Niko; he couldn’t see who it was from this angle. _ His _ sister? The innocent virgin? No, he couldn’t be...she always said she couldn’t date someone like her brothers…

Eventually, he saw Kate get off of the man and he leaned forward to kiss her and he saw that it was indeed Niko. Oh well. Better him than some bum off the street.

Niko and Kate made out for a bit until Niko’s eyes drifted up and caught a glimpse of the open window.

“Ooh, sibling alert, 1:00.”

Kate looked up and saw Packie glaring down at them. She smiled and waved.

“Well...gotta go, I guess.” 

She got out of the car.

“Hey, wait!”

She stopped and turned around as he came up to her.

“Watch this. Turn around.”

She looked confused, but turned around. Keeping his eyes firmly locked on Packie and wearing a smirk, Niko slapped Kate’s ass, causing her to yelp and turn around and slap his arm as he laughed. Packie gasped and ran downstairs.

“You’re an asshole! He’s gonna kill you now. Congratulations!”

She smiled and kissed him deeply one last time. “Call me.”

“Don’t I always?”

She walked inside, carrying her blouse over her shoulder and walking past Packie’s stunned face.

“Hello, Patrick,” she smirked as his shocked eyes followed her upstairs.


	3. Caught in the Act

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I lowkey made an error in the last chapter. Niko would still be 30 in July of 2009 because his birthday is in October. I went back and corrected. :)
> 
> Added new tags. ;)
> 
> I got my ideas for Serbian appetizers from here: https://www.serbiancookbook.com/food-recipes/appetizers/
> 
> Also, I couldn't find a GTA equivalent of Skype so I just used Skype, lol.
> 
> Serbian:
> 
> Nisam srećan = I'm not happy
> 
> Ovo je sranje = this is bullshit

Niko and Kate's relationship became hotter after reaching third base. They still loved each other and he still took her out on dates and bought her things, but now it seemed like there was twice the lust. So why the hell wouldn't she put out? Oral sex was basically sex. Why was one okay but not the other? Niko tried to tell himself that he didn't care if they did it or not, that he loved her and he DID love her, but once he had told the guys about he and Kate reaching third, the pressure was even greater. Kate was feeling it too from Mallorie and some of the girls at work who had met Niko.

Niko had never been one to pressure a girl into sleeping with him--he knew that was wrong--but he was 90 feet away from scoring with the woman he loved, from consummating their love. Every time he picked up his phone on nights when they didn't see each other, he had to fight the urge to text or call her and convince her to come over to make love. So he just whacked one out instead. It usually worked.

Kate knew it was the farthest thing from the truth, but she was sure Niko was going to break up with her any day now because he couldn't stand being with a 29-year-old virgin. It made her almost regret letting their relationship go to third, even though she loved how hot their romance was becoming. Luckily, Niko was always patient with her and told her he would always love her. He made sure to prove to her he wasn't just using her for sex either; he was learning Irish folk songs and would badly sing Danny Boy to her, especially when they got drunk, which always got her laughing and let her know he loved her. Their relationship was more than just teasing each other and seeing who was going to cave first; there was genuine love. She was probably the first woman Niko had ever loved besides his mother. Every time he looked into her emerald green eyes, he knew she was perfect for him. She understood his fucked up lifestyle and he was patient enough to deal with her drunken meltdowns.

Kate just thanked the Lord that her mother, strict Catholic though she was, had put her on the pill when she was a teenager.

Kate felt bad she wasn't ready to give him sex, but she knew another way to help him out. She knew Niko was always on the hunt for more money and she wanted him to stay away from criminal activity (and even though he wouldn't admit it, he did too). There was a job opening at the community center for a Serbian teacher for the adult night school that was held three nights a week, so Kate pulled some strings and got him the job. Niko found that the job application process was much easier as a legal immigrant; after finishing work with the U.L. Paper, the strange man had pulled some strings and made Niko a legal U.S. citizen. Roman was over the moon; he'd thrown a huge party with American flags everywhere and bought Niko an Uncle Sam costume that he'd hated. Despite how ridiculous the getup was, Kate loved it.

* * *

As for how the other Bellic cousin was faring in the art of love, Roman was feeling a feeling he'd never felt in his life: depression. Sitting next to Mallorie every day at work was like being shot and stabbed over and over and over again every hour. He kept his eyes on his computer and made angry calls on the CB. Neither of them spoke to each other. A lot of times, he would leave early and go to the library and find a book to lose himself in, but nothing worked. He kept losing weight, but it wasn't from working out; he wasn't eating. Niko tried everything, including cooking Roman's favorite Serbian dinners and desserts. The qualifying matches for the 2010 FIFA World Cup were going on, but the Serbian national team was horrible, so they didn't even cheer Niko up, let alone Roman. On his calendar in his room at the Middle Park East apartment, Roman crossed out the month and instead wrote "Days Until Mallorie Takes Me Back" and at the end of every day, he drew a big red X through the date. Some of his old stripper friends from The Triangle Club got word he was single again and hit him up. He tried to resist, but it'd be foolish not to admit to himself that he was horny. So he fucked them. But he never felt anything during the sex. They didn't give a fuck about him either; they were strippers, for Christ's sake. He knew that wasn't growing up, but come on, a man has urges. Normally, he'd stay in bed and hold Mallorie after making love to her and in the morning, but after he and the strippers fucked, he was done. He didn't even consider it getting laid and it certainly wasn't worthy of being called lovemaking. It wasn't even good sex. It left him feeling hollow and empty inside. He started fucking and drinking. It took every ounce of strength not to start gambling again. And, if he were being honest with himself, Mallorie sitting next to him every day at work was the only thing that kept him from going back to pissing money away. He pissed it away in other ways, though; he was back to staying out all night either at the Triangle, Maisonette 9 or Club Liberty, getting wasted and pouring himself into bed with a woman either at 3 a.m. or, if he was alone, at 6 a.m.

Unbeknownst to Roman, the current state of their relationship was hurting Mallorie too. She tried to be strong, but the truth was that she was missing him too. She missed his strong embrace after making love, she missed how he sometimes ate some of the chocolates he gifted her. She missed his voice; he wasn't speaking to her, even at work. He only kept his eyes on his computer. She was sure he was probably gambling again. At least her mother was happy; Mallorie had told her mother that she had called off her engagement with the Serb and the older Puerto Rican woman was overjoyed; she had always hated Roman. She just didn't want her daughter dating a white man. And, even though she was an immigrant herself, she didn't want her dating a white immigrant. The moment she met Roman, she knew she hated him; he was crass, vulgar and he gave off the vibe that he was only using Mallorie for sex. When she first met him, he and Mallorie couldn't keep their hands off each other and Mallorie even made out with him in front of her. Sure, he was polite enough, but she didn't want her daughter running with bad boys. Plus, she'd heard some less-than-desirable things about this man's cousin...

* * *

July turned into August and gave a whole new meaning to "the dog days of summer." August was always Liberty City's hottest month, but August of 2009 was miserable.

One Saturday morning, Niko came back to the Bohan apartment from sleeping over at Kate's. He wasn't in a good mood; he'd started sleeping over at Kate's--no sex, of course--after dates or when he needed her warmth and so far, they'd done a good job of not having her mother or brothers find out, since he always left early in the morning to get to the depot or before anyone woke up, but that morning, they'd ended up kissing in bed (usually he just crawled into her bed late at night and they fell asleep) naked and Packie had walked in. The Irishman hadn't gotten too mad, but his "come on, man" was enough to get Niko out. He hung around below the window for a little bit and silently cheered on his girlfriend as she dragged Packie for the double standard of him always being allowed to bring women home, but she could never bring a man home. He didn't tell her, but the thing he loved and admired most about Kate was her ability to stand up for herself and hold her own in a family of criminal brothers, a doting mother and a once drunk, belligerent father.

The cousins weren't rich by any means, but they liked having two apartments. Niko liked having four and he was about to be spending a lot more time at his Alderney place if he wanted Kate as a cuddle buddy. There were points where the cousins didn't know why they still kept the Bohan apartment, but back when they were single, it was the perfect bachelor pad and thus, it held a bit of nostalgia again. Plus, now that Roman was single again, it was a bachelor pad once more.

Niko entered the apartment building. _Like old times,_ he thought. _How you doing, Anal Burns?_ He touched the old graffiti by the entrance on the loitering and trespassing sign and made his way up the stairs. He got to the white apartment door and couldn't decide if he was surprised or not to hear a woman's moans and cries. He smiled craftily to himself; no matter how badly his past or anything in his present was hitting him, cockblocking Roman never got old. He barged through, making sure the door hit the wall.

"Hi Roman," he said without looking at the activity happening in the futon and going straight to the kitchen and making coffee. Roman and the girl he was with quickly jumped off of each other.

"You know, cousin, in America, they knock!"

Niko poured himself a cup of coffee and rested a hand on the countertop and smirked as he sipped. "Ah, but I am not American!"

"Neither am I, but I still knock!"

"Hey! Hey, sweetie, shhhh..." the girl Roman was sleeping with calmed him down. Niko recognized her as one of the strippers with a Southern accent from the Triangle Club. He was sure he'd gotten a drunken lap dance from her at some point during one of his trips there as a single man.

"I gotta go, sweetie," the stripper kissed Roman's cheek and got up and put her clothes on.

"Hey wait! Come on, why can't we keep going?"

"Because," she smiled at Niko. "someone just walked in." Niko raised a hand in greeting to her. The stripper kissed Roman sexily.

"You better call me, Roman Bellic."

She strutted out of the apartment, leaving Roman staring at the door.

"_Nisam srećan_, cousin," he said matter-of-factly, looking at Niko sternly.

Niko snorted. "Why? Because I cockblocked you?"

"No," Roman reached around for his gray tank top and black Eris athletic shorts and put them on before getting up and walking over to the countertop. He indicated the futon with his hand.

"That right there? What you just saw? That was...mindless fucking. That didn't mean anything. That wasn't even getting laid."

"So why do it?"

"What do I tell you, cousin? A man has urges."

"...Don't you have any urges for Mallorie?"

"THAT'S WHY I'M DOING THIS!!!!" Ugh..." Roman got up and walked in a circle, running his hands through his hair and making it stick up. 

"Okay...okay....calm down..." Any time Roman yelled, Niko was taken aback; the older Bellic cousin was always so happy and cheerful and full of life. He was almost never angry, so when he got angry, that meant something was really wrong.

"I'm sorry, cousin. I just miss Mallorie."

"So do something about it!"

Roman raised his hands and shook them the way people do when they're stressed, which he was. "I don't know what to do about it, okay? I'm lost," he threw his hands up and shrugged. "there. I admit it. I'm lost. I drink and I fuck to cope with everything that's going on around me."

"As long as you're not gambling."

"Yet." 

"Come on, man! Just tell her you love her! You always say that to chicks even if you don't mean it!"

"Yes but Mallorie isn't other chicks. Mallorie isn't a girl you just say 'I love you' to to get her into bed."

"But you have done it before."

"Niko. Listen, how long did you and Kate wait before you told each other you loved each other?"

Niko thought and shrugged. "I think...Valentine's Day was the first time."

"See? You'd known each other for a year just as friends before you said it, so she knew you meant it. Mallorie and I, I was putting moves on her when we first met."

Niko's eyes widened. "Jesus, you've been playing, how you say, the long game, huh? 11 years of leading this chick on?"

"I wasn't leading her on! I...okay, fine, maybe a little. But now that I'm older, I want when I say it to mean something. I...I need her to believe me."

"All right," Niko put his mug down. "pretend I'm Mallorie and you want to get back together with me. What do you say?"

Roman confidently approached him and cleared his throat. "Mallorie, I love you. I'm ready to grow up and be your husband."

"But Roman, how do I know this time is different?" Niko did his best impression of Mallorie, complete with pronouncing Roman as "Ro-maan" and time as "toime," making Roman stifle a laugh.

"Roman, focus!"

Roman kept laughing. "Sorry cousin, but that was a shitty impression!"

Niko gave up and shook his head. "Okay, man, I can't help you if you do not want to help yourself."

"I was joking! In due time, cousin. In due time. Now come on, we've got to get to the Algonquin apartment. The football match is today and I've got to shop for all the food! Florian said he'd meet us there."

"Why don't we just watch it at Comrade's? Is closer."

Roman raised an eyebrow. "With your past history with that place and now you want to watch a Serbian football match where we play Russia at a Russian bar? Do you ever stop asking for trouble, Niko Bellic?"

"All right, all right, point taken. Come on, we have to cook everything too."

"I'll cook. You'll watch," as they left.

"Hey, I can cook!"

Roman laughed. "NB, you can't even flip a burger!"

"Whatever."

"That's not even how Mallorie says time, by the way."

* * *

The guys sped back to Middle Park East and Roman went out to the Eastern European market to buy groceries. Niko plopped down on the couch and turned the TV on and watched the pregame coverage. Watching soccer in English was still a big culture shock. Not only that, but he found the way Americans approached the game and players laughable. He knew everything about Dejan Stanković, the captain of the Serbian team; how many career goals he had, how many teams he'd played with, how many assists, everything. These Americans didn't know shit. Luckily, two British commentators were calling the Serbia game.

This was the biggest game of the FIFA qualifiers for Serbia. The Serbs and Russians coming together to duke it out was always good fun--and the irony was not lost on Niko that he enjoyed this, considering the events of last year--but today, the game was especially big.

Niko watched the pregame coverage bored when his phone went off with a text. Seeing it was from Kate, he smiled and opened it.

_ "Hey Europe, what are you up to? ;)" _

_ "Not much baby, waiting 4 Serbia match 2 start. Playing Russia 2day." _

_ "Nice. We watched the Ireland game last week. We sucked and lost, as usual." _

Niko laughed. Being a sports fan was another one of Kate's best qualities. He loved a woman who could talk sports.

_ "Yeah u dont play good football in Western Europe. ;)" _

_ "It's called soccer, first of all." _

_ "Shut the fuck up lol," _ he texted her a laughing emoji, making her laugh. He was always so worried about her taking his sarcasm seriously. She always told him that Americans are fluent in sarcasm.

_ "Second of all, are you alone?" _

_ "Yeah actually. Ro went 2 get appetizers." _

_ "How interesting, so am I. ;)" _

_ "Where is ur mother?" _

_ "Down for a nap. ;)" _ When the bubble didn't pop up, she bit her lip thinking about what to text him next. _ "Wanna cam?" _

A smile tugged at Niko's lips, but he decided to keep testing the waters. If she could tease him, he could tease right back.

_ "Depends. What r u wearing?" _

Kate smirked._ "In my bed in a bra and panties. ;)" _

_ "U r not fucking with me r u?" _

_ "Get on your laptop and find out. ;)" _

Niko rushed over to the island and opened his laptop and went on Skype and logged into his account. He found Kate's username in his list of friends right above Roman's (who he'd made the mistake of camming while he was naked one night and was subjected to 10 minutes of Roman loudly laughing at him. He'd meant to click on Kate's handle). The phone icon came up and started ringing, making him nervous. Finally, Kate answered and true to her word, she looked sexy as hell, sitting on her bed in her necklace and baby blue lace bra and panties. 

"Heyyyy!" she smiled. Niko smiled back.

"Hi. Where is your mother?"

"She's asleep, she won't wake up till four. You sure Roman's gone? You know how he is..."

"Is grocery shopping for the match. I do not know how long he will be gone, but we have time, baby, I promise."

"Good...you know how we don't like anyone interrupting our fun..."

Niko chuckled. "You look sexy, baby."

She blushed. "Thank youuuu, so do you. I love summer. I get to see those muscles of yours."

Niko chuckled again, looking down at his navy tank top. 

"Sooo..." Kate started to slowly pull down her bra strap as Niko watched, smiling with his fingers on his temple, rocking side to side in the swivel chair. 

"Is no way you're a virgin, baby..." he said in a sexy voice as she lowered both of her bra straps. Kate just giggled impishly and let her bra fall. Niko licked his lips at the sight of her gorgeous breasts, but the minute they were revealed to him, the elevator opened and in walked Roman and Bernie carrying armfuls of groceries. 

"Hey man! We got shit to cook!"

Niko quickly closed the laptop and stood up. The three men stared at each other as Niko's phone went off with a text from Kate.

"What are you doing, man?"

"Uhhhh...I was, uhhhhh....looking up, ummm...."

"People to murder?" Bernie smirked.

"Yeah. Yeah, exactly, Bernie. Stalking my next victim. Might be you."

Roman and Bernie let out a low "ooooh." Before he started helping them cook, Niko looked at his phone.

_ "Where did you go??? :(" _ Kate texted.

_ "Rom n Florian just walked in. :( Check the rain, baby." _

Kate sighed and put down her phone. "Liar." She smiled as she put her bra and shirt on. That's probably why he wasn't proposing; he didn't want to give her Roman for a cousin-in-law. But she always told him that she was giving him her fucked up brothers for brothers-in-law and compared to them, Roman was just an immature, eccentric saint, so they were even.

* * *

The boys finished up cooking salty sticks, deviled eggs, chicken croquettes and mushrooms and chicken and sat down on the couch, setting all the food on the coffee table.

"I can't believe we cooked all this food to watch us lose," Bernie said dryly, making Niko laugh.

"Makes you feel any better, the Russian team is made up of sellouts who can't play hockey," Roman said.

The guys watched the teams walk out onto the field.

"Just like in the Old Country, eh, cousin?" Roman looked at Niko.

Bernie nodded. "Reminds me of in the Old Country when we used to go to the bar and watch the matches with Dar--"

He was cut off by Roman clearing his throat loudly and moving his eyes rapidly towards Niko.

"Oh right...sorry, Neeks," he whispered.

"Is okay, Bernie. Reminds me of watching the matches with Stevan."

The three men looked down and nodded, remembering Niko's brother. But the somber mood quickly dissipated as the Serbian national anthem played and all three Serbs stood up, honoring their country.

The game began.

"Wow, we haven't given up a goal in the first three minutes! There might be hope for us yet, fellas!" Roman smiled, eating a salty stick. Bernie laughed.

"Don't jinx it, cousin..." Niko said in a focused voice, leaning forward. His phone vibrated with a text from Kate. He picked it up and read it.

_ "Hey baby. Since we got interrupted, you should come over. I can give you a private show. ;)" _

Niko stared at his phone open-mouthed. He'd been waiting for this game all week, but Kate was presenting herself to him on a silver platter. He alternated between looking at the TV and his phone. 

"Hey cousin, you all right?" Roman snapped him out of his reverie.

"Oh, y...yeah, just checking the other scores," he opened the FIFA app quickly in case Roman was his usual nosy self and took his phone to look through it. But he didn't do that. Instead, he just looked at his cousin with a knowing look.

"Who are you texting?"

"No one! Uh...Jacob."

"You're texting your virgin, aren't you, cousin?"

Bernie laughed. "You still haven't balled her, Neeks?"

"You're gay, what do you care?" Niko looked at him with a "wtf" look on his face.

"Hey, my job as both an ally and an old friend of yours is to support you getting laid!"

"Respect, man, thanks." Niko and Bernie pounded fists lightly. Suddenly, the conversation took an abrupt turn as the referee issued a yellow card to one of the Serbian players.

"Oh, come ON!" Bernie threw up his hands.

"What's the matter with you, ref?" Roman whined.

_ "Ovo je sranje," _Niko shook his head and stood up and tapped Roman. "Hey. We've got to go to Meadows Park."

Roman looked up, confused. "Why do we have to go to Meadows Park?"

"I will show you when we get there," Niko said in a hushed voice through gritted teeth. 

"But...I thought we were going to watch the football match..."

"Bernie will record it. Bernie? Don't do anything gay here." Both Bellic cousins left, leaving Bernie alone watching the game. He looked at the food and smiled.

"Cool!" He started eating.

* * *

"Niko, this is Serbia-Russia, we have been waiting for this match all week!"

"And I was too, until Kate texted." He showed him Kate's text. Roman read it and his face lit up like a Christmas tree.

"Hoo hoo hooooo, cousin! This is it!"

"I am not so sure."

"W...what do you mean?? She's _ throwing _herself at you!!"

"Yes but she _ always _ does this, Roman! You and Brucie were right. All she does is tease me."

"...So why are you going over there? And why do I have to go?"

Niko turned to his cousin and smiled. "Because an Irish chick naked is one of God's most beautiful creations. And you need some action to get out of this funk you are in."

"But you literally saw me fucking a--"

"Action with someone who for sure does not have an STD."

Roman conceded. "Fair point."

"And besides, she has great titties!"

Roman smiled. "Let's go, cousin!"

Before he got in the car, Niko texted Kate.

_ "On my way. ;)" _

_ "Go in the backyard. There's a few ladders there. Climb up to my window to see the show. You know where my room is. ;)" _

* * *

Niko and Roman sped over to the McReary homestead and made their way to the backyard. Niko found two ladders--one for him and one for Roman--and both cousins climbed up to Kate's room. Roman started to climb up, but Niko told him to stay down and out of sight.

"But..."

"Wait till she starts, then I'll call you up! And stay quiet!"

Niko made it to Kate's room and knocked on the window. Kate was in there, sitting at her vanity brushing her short red hair, making Niko fall even more in love with her. She turned to him and smiled and waved and he waved back, smiling. Kate started to walk around her room, casually lifting off her shirt. Niko quickly beckoned Roman up and both boys settled in to watch the show. Kate smirked, seeming to know four eyes were on her instead of two, and amped it up, bending over so they could get a good view of her curves and ass. Both cousins watched in awe.

"This beats football by a long shot..." Roman watched, mesmerized.

Kate slowly moved her body to face the window.

“She’s turning! She’s turning! Get down!” Niko swatted at Roman.

“Oh shit!” Roman quickly descended before Kate fully turned to the window. She and Niko locked eyes. She bit her lip, taking off her bra slowly.

“Niko, what is she doing??” Roman hissed. 

The younger Bellic didn’t answer; he was too busy drinking in his girlfriend’s luscious body. Before they started dating, he’d have never guessed she had a body like this.

Kate slowly pulled down her panties and turned around, making her way to the bed.

“Come on, man! I want to see some titties!” Roman whined.

“Get back up here, man!”

Roman hurriedly climbed back up and immediately drew in a breath.

“Oh, now _ that _is an ass…”

“Mmhmmm…” Niko bit his lip.

They watched Kate lie down on the bed and get comfortable, closing her eyes and biting her lip as one of her hands snaked down her body. Roman and Niko's jaws dropped, hardly daring to believe what they were seeing.

"She's going downstairs..." Roman observed.

And that she did; they could even hear her moans. Niko and Roman just stared in silence and wonder.

"God bless Ireland..." Roman said in a trance. Niko slowly nodded, in a trance himself.

They watched her masturbate for a few more minutes before Roman started shoving Niko.

"Get in there."

"What--? No, I can't let her know we were watching!"

"Get IN there, man! This is your chance!"

"What do I even say, Roman?"

"Go in there and ask if she needs an extra hand," Roman kept his eyes glued on Kate.

Niko shook his head and rolled his eyes. "That's stupid, Roman. That's the lamest pickup line in the book."

"That's not stupid, cousin! _You're _stupid if you don't get in there! GO, man!"

"All right, all right! Go down first."

Roman descended and Niko slowly lifted the window and climbed in. Kate opened her eyes and looked over, smiling. 

"Was wondering when you were gonna stop eavesdropping and come in!"

"Thought you said you didn't masturbate."

Kate came up to him and wrapped her arms around his waist. "You said it yourself. I'm not as innocent as everyone thinks."

She kissed him and they began to make out sexily. She giggled against his lips.

"Roman thinks you're getting laid..."

Niko's eyes flew open. "I'm not...?"

Kate shook her head. "What is it with you men?" and kept kissing him. She lifted his tank top up and felt his abs.

"But I'll take my private show now..."

They smiled against each other's lips as she got him naked and they fell onto the bed. 

"Go home, Roman!" she called. Roman's eyes flew up to the window.

"How'd she know I was..." he shook his head. "Women...have fun getting blue balled yet again, NB!" The older Bellic cousin hailed a cab and went back to Middle Park East to watch the game.


	4. Close Encounters of the Irish-Serbian Kind

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Serbian:
> 
> u mojoj sobi = in my room
> 
> Also, it's my headcanon that Niko and Roman just go to the library a lot and chill and read or use resources (in another AU of mine, they both decide to go back to school at Vespucci University for an American degree and are students who go to the library a lot), hence Roman going to the library in the last chapter and Niko returning from the library in this one. :)

Kate hadn't been lying to Niko; she really did want to have sex. And she knew he was right: they loved each other. He was the reason she had new life breathed into her, the reason she got up every morning, the reason she was happy and smiling again. But she just couldn't pull the trigger. She knew the main reasons why--Catholicism, her mother's disappointment if she did, her brothers kicking Niko's ass--but then she stopped to think: why were those stopping her? She said it herself; she was a grown woman, not 16 anymore. So why couldn't she just say yes and invite the man she loved into her body? Was she worried it would complicate things between them? Was she worried about the reputation she'd get for having sex with a killer? Was she worried about getting entrenched in the world her brothers were in? She knew those were foolish fears too because she knew Niko would always protect her. So why couldn't she make their love physical?

All these questions and more plagued her as she relaxed on her bed one Saturday afternoon. She was almost grateful for Packie and Gerry almost knocking down her door.

"Hey sis, we're havin' a party tonight!"

"That's cool, are we celebrating you two learning how to knock?"

"Ha ha, very funny," Packie laughed sarcastically. "Nah, Ma's finally gettin' out of the house tonight so we're takin' advantage!"

"...where's she going?"

"Ahh, someone from her bridge club invited her to see that hamster musical on Star Junction."

Kate stifled a laugh. "Niko and I saw that. It was hilarious."

"Awwwwww, look at our baby sister in loveeee!" Gerry mock pouted at Packie and both of her older brothers pinched her cheeks.

"Ow! Hey, hey, stop!"

"Hey Packie, remember when she said she 'couldn't date anyone like her brothers' and that her and Niko were 'just friends'?" Gerry made air quotes around "couldn't date anyone like her brothers" and "just friends."

"Yeah, that lasted like, a day," both brothers laughed.

"Hey, at least I'm dating someone! I don't see you two with girlfriends!"

"Katie, you know how us McReary boys roll! Fly solo, get paid and get laid!"

"And you know there'll be tons of hot bitches at this party," Packie and Gerry laughed and fist bumped.

"Yeah, maybe Niko will get laid since you're not giving him any action!" Packie said and they both laughed. Kate rolled her eyes.

"What happened to being overprotective whenever a man looks at me, Patrick?"

"Sure, but I trust Niko to treat you right. Boyo has been nothing but loyal to our family and you, at least give him _something,_ Kate!"

"We're on third base, all right? That's all he's getting until...I decide I'm ready. Besides, you're implying that Niko would cheat on me, which I know he would NEVER do."

"Kate, you know what happens to a man when he ain't getting any. Look at Pa," Packie pointed out.

Kate chuckled. "Niko isn't an Irishman. And besides, I...I'm thinking about...going all the way with him."

Both Packie's and Gerry's eyes widened.

"This is a sudden change of heart..." Gerry mused.

"Yeah, Kate, what happened?"

"I don't know..." She got up and walked over to her window. Unbeknownst to her brothers, she was looking at the spot where Niko usually parked when he came over. She figured it was the same feeling that lovers felt when they smelled each other in the empty space next to them in bed, like she could smell his cologne wafting up to her window from the street. "I've just been thinking to myself, why am I so scared to do it? At first I thought it was Ma, you guys kicking his ass, being Catholic...and then I thought, well, maybe our relationship will change? I don't know, I just don't know what I'm afraid of. Plus I'm sexually frustrated and--"

"Yawn! Girl problems! Okay, we're gonna go get booze!" Gerry announced loudly.

"Fuck you guys! Hey, get me some Bailey's!"

"You got it. Hey, so is he coming over tonight or not?"

She turned to them. "Why do you care?"

"Uhhh...sooo...we know whether or not to get vodka!" Gerry quickly came up with an excuse.

"Yeah! Duh!"

Kate smiled, shaking her head and rolling her eyes. Her brothers were just as horrible at lying as Niko was. Must be a criminal thing. 

"We'll be here, but first, we're going to the Homebrew Cafe to play pool. We'll be here around 9:30."

"Homebrew Cafe? Ain't that where all those ganja-smoking Yardies hang out?"

"Yeah, but Niko knows one. He's nice."

"Just watch yourself, Kate...I don't trust those guys."

"Patrick, I'm fine."

Packie and Gerry looked at each other, concern on both their faces.

"All right, sis. Well...we'll see ya tonight. Tell Niko there'll be vodka."

* * *

Niko got back to the Middle Park East apartment from the library around two, throwing his backpack down on the couch.

"Ro, you home?"

_ "U mojoj sobi." _

"Hey, man." Niko pushed open the door with the "Wanted for taking two naps. Reward: $5,000,000,000" sign that Bernie had made that featured a crudely-drawn picture of Roman and came into his cousin's pigsty of a room and found him reading a book on his bed. He sat down in his swively computer chair. He shook his head as he observed the floor. He never knew why Roman never cleaned up. He never had; his mother had always yelled at him to set an example for Niko and Stevan, but he always ignored her and it carried on into adulthood. The room looked like it had been robbed; clothes lay all over the floor and the small couch against the wall, behind which hung the Serbian flag. His desk to the right was cluttered with pencils, pens, papers for the depot, erector set schematics and his computer. Even his walls were cluttered with posters of 60s and 70s bands and Serbian musicians. At least it smelled decent. As in, not horrible. The only thing that was organized was the bulletin board filled with pictures of Roman and Mallorie. Niko wondered how Mallorie stood spending nights in filth. Though he supposed she didn't have to worry about that anymore.

Niko found a stack of Playboys and started thumbing through them, causing Roman to look over, bored.

"Do you always have to touch everything whenever you come into my room?"

Niko smiled gleefully and mimicked Roman’s voice. “Come in! Come in! Make yourself at home! What’s mine is yours!”

Roman raised an eyebrow and nodded, knowing he’d been beat. “Mhm. You do shitty impressions, cousin.”

Niko ignored him and looked through the magazines with a light smile on his face. "Nice collection here, Rom..."

"Those aren't mine, those are Brucie's! I'm growing up, remember?"

"Sure you are," Niko threw the magazines back on the desk and scooted over to the bed. "Hey. Come to the party at the McReary's tonight."

"The who's?"

Niko looked at his cousin with a "really?" look on his face. "You know them, Roman."

"I know Kate and Packie. Who are the other ones?"

"Gerry and Francis. Well, Francis they don't really talk to, but..."

Roman sat up. "Francis McReary? As in Commissioner of Police Francis McReary?"

"He's the one!"

Roman looked stunned and Niko could tell he was trying to figure out how Francis could be produced from a family like the McRearys. "How???"

Niko shook his head. "I don't know."

"I mean, it's hard enough to believe that Kate and Packie are related..."

"Is the truth and you should say it, cousin! So you coming or not?"

Roman sighed and lay back on his pillows. "I don't know, cousin. Parties aren't the same anymore without Mallorie..."

Niko followed his cousin's eyes to the bulletin board. "The one that got away..."

"She hasn't gotten away from me yet."

"I suppose not, but you aren't doing anything to get her back either."

"I just...I've got to find myself first."

Niko raised an eyebrow. "By going out and clubbing every night and drinking to make pain go away?"

"Hey! Tons of epiphanies have happened in the restrooms at Maisonette 9!"

Niko snorted. "Yeah. Tons of babies maybe. So you in or not?"

"I'll...I'll think about it, cousin. You gonna go?"

Niko got up and made his way out. "Later on. Kate and I are going to Homebrew to shoot pool first."

"Aaaand?" Roman looked at him suggestively. Niko rolled his eyes.

"It may happen, it may not. Though she has been acting a little strange lately..."

Roman's eyes lit up as he walked over to him. "Ooh! Good! That means she's thinking about it!"

"It could just mean she's sick or something, Roman...you know how much shit she has to deal with in that family."

"Yeah, she also has to deal with you not banging her."

"Shut up!" Both cousins laughed and shoved each other.

* * *

The ride over to Homebrew was their usual; Kate and Niko could talk and laugh about anything. But once they got to the marijuana smoke-infested cafe, the flirtation and teasing began. Niko figured that the secondhand smoke theory was true because it was like a math problem: marijuana smoke plus Kate equals feeling high himself. It didn't help that she was wearing a spaghetti strap black tank top and incredibly short pink shorts--the night was particularly hot, but Niko didn't like wearing shorts because he was self-conscious about his skinny legs and knobby knees, so he wore his blue jeans and his blue plaid button-down shirt.

Niko parked in his usual spot outside the cafe and went around to the passenger side and opened the door to let Kate out. Normally, she hated when he did that--she was perfectly capable of opening doors herself--but tonight she excused it because she wanted to make love and if he wanted to too, he was going to need to earn his brownie points.

"Thank you, baby," she got out of the car and kissed him as they smiled.

"You're welcome," he said in his sexy flirty voice. He put a hand gently on her ass and they walked inside. Taking two pool sticks, they chalked them up and Niko got a nice view of her cleavage as she set the balls up, smiling at him.

"You wanna break?" she asked. Niko set up to break, but then stopped. 

"Let's make this a little interesting, yeah?"

Kate smirked. "How do you mean?" But she knew exactly what he meant.

"If I win..." he sauntered over to her. "I think you know what happens."

"And if I win...it'll still happen."

Niko's smile faded. _That was easy._ "What?"

"Niko, I've been thinking, and...you know...I don't really know what I'm afraid of when it comes to sex. I was like, am I afraid of my mother, God, my brothers beating you...then I decided, you know what? I don't care anymore. I really don't. None of that matters. What matters is that I love you and I want us to do it."

Niko smiled and hugged her. He knew he wasn't, but for a while, he had felt bad because he felt like he was forcing her into sexual situations, but it felt good to hear her say that she was deciding to do this on her own free will.

"I love you, Kate."

"I love you too, Niko." 

He kissed her as they set both their sticks down and made out lovingly. 

"Ey rasta! Mek you play pool or mek out?" Little Jacob jeered, sitting in one of the chairs at the table by the Qubed arcade machine.

"You grab a stick and play me then, man!"

Little Jacob smiled and did as he was told. 

"All right, you guys play, I'm gonna go outside and call Packie and see if they need anything else for the party." Kate kissed Niko's cheek and left.

* * *

Kate had slightly lied to her brothers; instead of coming to the party at 9:30, they arrived at 10 thanks to Niko playing pool with Jacob and then herself. Luckily for them, Packie and Gerry knew how to throw a good party, so when they arrived, the party was still going strong.

Unlike Brucie's parties, Niko always looked forward to a good McReary party. Brucie's parties were always full of steroid junkies and tryhards trying to get noticed. They were also loud, with blaring music and people making fools of themselves. Not to mention his brother Mori sometimes showed up and was a handful (Kate and Mallorie had also had to hold Niko and Roman back from fighting him a few times; Mori had extremely prejudiced and xenophobic views of immigrants). For being criminals, Packie and Gerry's friends were surprisingly down-to-earth and cool. Nothing got too out of control at their parties for the most part, unless someone drank too much. Niko was sure Packie wished they would get out of control, but he also knew that even Packie had his limits. And Gerry was a naturally down-to-earth dude, so if you wanted a chill weekend party, you went to the McReary's. That's not to say that nothing crazy didn't occasionally happen, but for the most part, you just "grabbed a red solo of booze and kicked back and scoped out the ladies and listened to kickass music," as Packie would phrase it.

Also unlike Brucie's parties, rock music blared at McReary parties instead of rap, as Kate and Niko walked in and were greeted by a Love Fist song. Niko had never seen the McReary house so full. People were even hanging out, drinking and making out in the entryway and on the stairs. Only a small lamp was on in the living room, making the people in the crowded room look like shadows. Kate looked around, both terrified and slightly amused.

"Oh, Ma is going to beat. Their. Asses," she smiled craftily.

"Beats Brucie's parties by a mile and a half," Niko looked around.

Packie emerged from the kitchen, carrying a red solo cup of Guinness and smiling. "Sis! You made it!"

Niko smiled. That was another thing he liked about McReary parties, or just coming over to the McReary's in general: he didn't have to hear "NBBBBBBBBB!!!!" the millisecond he walked in the door. He was greeted in a normal tone of voice by a normal (for the most part) person.

"I told you we were coming!" Kate hugged her brother.

"Yeah but you're late."

"By a half hour!" Kate and Packie laughed as Packie and Niko slapped hands.

"What's up, man?" the Irishman greeted him.

"Hey."

"Hey, we got vodka for you, man."

Niko put his hand on his heart and mock pouted. "Aww, you're so sweet!"

They both laughed as Packie playfully hit him on the arm. "Shut the fuck up, man!"

"You know Ma's gonna kill you for this, right?" Kate said.

"Ooh, I'm so _scared!"_ Packie mock trembled.

Kate giggled and shook her head, turning to her boyfriend. "Hey, I'm gonna go get drinks!" She pecked Niko's lips sexily and murmured, "You sure you don't want a Guinness?"

"Pretty positive," he smiled. She grinned her sexy grin and ran a hand slowly across his chest.

"Yknow, you could come out of your comfort zone a little tonight, too..." she smiled and went into the kitchen, Niko's and Packie's wide eyes following her.

"What was that all about?" Packie asked. 

"That's...what I have to talk to you about," Niko put a hand on his shoulder as they went into the living room and Packie handed him a red solo cup of vodka. He immediately took a big swig; if he was going to ask the brother of his girlfriend if it was okay to take her virginity, he needed liquid courage. "Packie...you know me, right? And...and you know I'd never hurt Kate."

A smile tugged at Packie's mouth. "Niko, you're not gonna propose to my sister at a drunken house party, are ya?"

"No, no, not that yet. It's just..." he looked around quickly. "She told me she is ready."

"Ready foooor..." something clicked in Packie's brain and his jaw dropped and his eyes widened. "No way!!! Holy shit!!!"

_Now you're starting to sound like Brucie,_ Niko thought. He quickly calmed Packie down. "Shhhhh, man!"

"Hey, what's going on? What are we holy shitting about?" Gerry came over with a red solo cup filled with whiskey.

"Hey, what's up, Gerry?" Niko greeted the taller man.

"What's up, man?" he and Niko slapped hands.

"Niko's gonna bang our sister!" 

"Dude..." Niko looked at Packie with a "come on" look on his face.

Gerry laughed. "Really? Yeah, she was tellin' us about that."

"Wait, she told you guys?"

"Yeah, she was like:" Gerry put his hand against his forehead and imitated a damsel in distress. "Oh! Guys! I want to have sex with Niko, but...but..."

Niko and Packie laughed and sipped their drinks.

"But seriously, man, do you really want your first time with her to be...here?" Packie looked around, indicating his house.

"That's what I'm saying. I mean, Kate deserves a perfect first time, but I feel like if I do not take this opportunity, she'll change her mind."

Both Gerry and Packie nodded and murmured "yeah" and took a swig of their drinks.

"What about you guys? You working on something tonight?"

"Some_things_, plural..." Gerry's voice trailed off as his and Packie's eyes followed two hot girls walking into the kitchen. Niko joined in too; yes, he was taken, but a man could still look. 

"Gerry, I don't think you're getting any chicks tonight in that shirt." 

Gerry looked down at his "I Escaped From Alderney State Correctional Facility" t-shirt as Niko and Packie laughed at him.

"They gave it to me when I got out!"

"You didn't even escape!" Packie laughed.

"Fuck you, Packie."

After the girls went into the kitchen with Gerry hot on their trail, Niko's eyes found Kate. All she was doing was drinking and talking to Gordon, but she was smiling. The kitchen was already brightly lit, but Niko swore that it was her smile lighting up that entire room. That smile lit up his heart and erased his sadness on his darkest days. He figured that that was what love was the first time he felt it, which was, coincidentally, the day he'd met her. She deserved to have the best love made to her and he was going to give her that and whatever she wanted. He didn't know if tonight would be the night, but if it was, he'd try to make it perfect.

"Beautiful, isn't she?" Packie snapped him out of his daydream, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"That's your sister, man!" Niko laughed.

"Hey come on! Sisters can be beautiful!" the guys started walking and talking and sipping their drinks. "Hey, is Roman coming tonight?"

"I don't know...he's been in a funk. Him and Mallorie broke up."

"Damn...well at least they're not having sex every time we walk into work anymore, eh?"

Niko laughed. "True!" 

A drunk girl ran up to Packie and took his hand. "Come onnn, Packie!" she turned to Niko. "Hey I know you! You're that really hot Serbian killer guy!"

Niko blushed a little, embarrassed and ashamed, but played it cool. "Oh, actually, Really Hot Serbian Killer Guy is my father. I'm Niko." He shook her hand and she smiled at him flirtatiously.

"Well, nice to meet you, Niko! Come on, baby," she took Packie's hand and led him away.

"Go get em, tiger," Niko extended his drink towards him.

"Hey, treat my sister right, Really Hot Serbian Killer Guy!" Packie called. Niko laughed and sipped his drink, observing the party.

* * *

The party carried on late into the night. Niko talked with some of the guys he'd met through Packie and Gerald before he and Kate eventually linked up again to chill in a corner of the dark living room and drink and make out. The taste of alcohol on each other's lips turned them on even more. Niko wasn't a fan of sweet drinks and Kate didn't really like vodka, but it was Saturday night, they were partying and any alcohol was good alcohol.

Eventually, her "come on" floated into his ear whisper-soft and he smiled as she took his hand and led him up the stairs past people drinking. The upstairs hallway had become the makeout hallway. Kate and Niko made their way past all the spit-swapping couples all the way down to her room at the end of the hall. They opened the door giggling and were greeted by the sight of Packie butt-naked (though he was under the covers) fucking the girl that Niko had met earlier. Kate threw her hands up.

"Packie, really? In MY bed??"

Packie looked up. "Oh hey Kate! Hey Niko! Katie, your bed is the comfiest out of all our beds!"

Niko chuckled and fist pumped, nodding. Kate turned to him, annoyed. "Why are you encouraging this??" and immediately, his smile faded.

"Uh...how do Americans say it? Bros before hoes?"

"Right on, Niko!" Both boys laughed and high-fived. Kate was still annoyed.

"You hate my room anyway! It's pink!"

"Hey listen, go do it in my room! Niko, I got a disco ball blue light thing if you want atmosphere and shit."

Kate rolled her eyes. "Come on..." She took Niko's hand once more and led him back up the hallway to Packie's room. 

She closed the door that had caution tape and Do Not Enter signs all over it and they were in silence, the loud Love Fist songs only mere thuds from downstairs now. The room's walls were a drab gray, but they were covered in posters of classic rock bands and some metal bands and street signs and posters of women in bikinis. A keyboard and a guitar stood in the corner of the room. The bed was in the center of the room and Kate sat down on it. 

"Well? What do you think?" She smiled.

Niko walked around, nodding. "Reminds me of Roman's room, only edgier because the inhabitant never left grammar school."

Kate laughed. "That's Patrick for you!"

Niko kept walking around, though he didn't know why. He was finally about to make love to Kate. Why was he stalling? He noticed the black soccer ball-like strobe light on Packie's desk and turned it on. A deep blue light filled the room. He gulped and turned to face his girlfriend, who was faking being appalled.

"Niko Bellic, are you nervous?" she said in a mock stunned voice. She was showing off her smooth, shapely legs to him.

"What? Me? Nervous for sex? No! Not at all!" 

Kate continued smiling as she got up and wrapped her arms around his waist, looking up at him. "Could've fooled me."

And she kissed him. It was soft, the alcohol and cherry lip balm creating a sexy, succulent flavor in his mouth. They smiled, kissing as he leaned her against the desk. She pushed him forward and they moved towards the bed, her unbuttoning and taking off his shirt as they fell onto the bed, Kate on top. Niko couldn't believe it as he kissed her moist lips. It was finally about to happen. Faster than he'd like and the setting wasn't what he'd consider "perfect," but they were finally about to do it. 

Kate broke the kiss to take her tank top and shorts off, revealing a black bra and panties and Niko looked around. "Does Packie, uh...have any condoms?"

She smiled. "I'm on the pill..." she murmured and kissed him, cupping his cheek.

“The pill?” Niko asked, kissing her as they moved up to the pillows, him getting on top. “That’s not very Catholic of you.”

“Ma was paranoid when I was a teenager. She thought I was gonna get with a bad boy.”

Niko smiled against her lips. “She was right.” They both giggled and took off his jeans.

* * *

Roman took a cab to Meadows Park. He thought about driving himself, but decided against it; it was Saturday night and he was single, so he knew he'd be getting drunk and pouring himself into bed around dawn.

The cab dropped him off by the giant building with a 24 on it on Bunker Hill Avenue. He Eyefinded the address Niko had given him and found that it was only a few blocks away. Sighing, he put his phone away and, shoving every one of his fingers but his thumbs into the pockets of his stonewashed jeans, set off. He passed Hancock Street and turned onto Savannah Avenue. Eyefind Maps hadn't told him which house to go to, but he heard loud rock music coming from a house with a brown front door and figured that that must be his destination. He walked up the steps and was about to knock when he realized the door was open a little bit. He didn't find that weird at all; Brucie did the same thing for his parties when he got tired of answering the doorbell. He said a silent prayer in hopes that Kate didn't invite Mallorie. He had to talk to her, but a house party wasn't the place.

Roman poked his head inside and entered discreetly and found himself in a nice two-story home that would have been much nicer had it not been crowded with drunk people making out and blaring such loud music. He slowly walked further in when Gerry came out from the living room to see who was there.

"Hey!"

Roman looked up and gulped; Roman and Niko were both 5'11", but Gerry was at least half a foot taller than both of them.

"Who invited your fat ass?"

With losing weight, Roman had gained a lot of confidence. He didn't need Niko to defend him that much anymore, something both cousins were grateful for. Roman looked Gerry up and down with an arched eyebrow.

"Who's asking?"

Gerry's eyes widened at the Serb's attitude. "Me! Because it's my fucking house!" he shoved Roman.

"Don't touch me, man."

Gerry smiled mockingly. "Ooh, what's the matter, fatso? You don't like when the big, scary Irish guy touches you?"

"Get your hands off me, man!"

* * *

Niko and Kate made out hotly but slowly in bed, naked and bodies intertwined under the covers, groaning against each other's lips. Niko smiled against hers.

"You ready?"

Kate giggled. "Mmhmm."

She arched her body and he was about to enter her when they heard shouting from downstairs, causing them both to look at the door. Niko instantly recognized one of the voices.

"Roman?" he arched an eyebrow. He quickly got up and grabbed his shirt and jeans off the floor and put them on, leaving off his belt and his shirt untucked and he didn't care if anyone figured out what he was doing upstairs. 

"Baby, he's probably just drunk..."

"No. Roman does not shout like that when he's drunk."

Niko leaned over and pecked her. "Sorry, baby," he said quickly before he ran out. Kate fell back onto the pillows, staring at the ceiling.

"You finally agree to do it and he leaves. Good job, Katie," she sighed and closed her eyes, but they flew open when she too recognized one of the voices.

"Gerry?" she sat up. "Oh no...Roman, what did you do..." she jumped out of bed and getting dressed.

* * *

Downstairs, partygoers had heard the shouting in the entryway and came to watch. 

"Slavic motherfuckers like you know that I do my talking with my fists and that's what gonna happen to you," Gerry was in Roman's face now.

"Ooooh, big smart guy, huh?"

Kate, Packie and Niko ran downstairs before things could escalate any further.

"Roman, what are you doing?"

"Niko! Thank God!" Roman rubbed his face, exhausted. "Please explain to this man who I am."

Gerry laughed. "Roman? What kind of dumbass virgin name is that?"

"My mama looked at me and called me Roman, just like your mama looked at you and called you Dipshit!"

"Hey hey hey! Stop!" Niko put his hands on Roman's chest, getting in-between him and Gerry. Kate did the same, only putting her hands on her brother's chest.

"Gerry! Gerry! This is Niko's cousin!"

Gerry stopped, looking dumbfounded as if he realized he just made a huge mistake. Niko had to fight back a smile; Roman made the same face a lot. Instead, he kept his composure as peacemaker and made the introductions, indicating Gerry to Roman.

"Roman, Gerry McReary. Gerry, this is my cousin Roman."

Gerry and Roman sized each other up, Roman looking Gerry over with an air of snobbishness and an arched eyebrow.

"Shake hands. Both of you. Now," Kate commanded in the tone of a stern mother.

"Hey man, let's let bygones be bygones, huh?" Gerry smiled slightly and stuck out his hand. Roman still silently judged him before shaking his hand cautiously only once.

* * *

After the incident, the party continued as normal, now past midnight. Niko, Roman, Kate and a few other people started a poker game at the dining room table.

"So that's your brother?" Roman asked Kate.

"Yep!"

"You look nothing like him!" he hissed in a low voice.

"Genetics are a bitch, aren't they?" she smiled mockingly and folded her hand. Niko laughed and called.

"So...Niko, us being here...are we the _cool_ foreign guys trying to woo American girls with our sexy accents, or are we the _creepy_ foreign guys trying to ask American girls their age and location?"

"No, cousin, we're definitely not the creepy guys," Niko said, throwing his cards back to the dealer.

"FRANKIE'S HERE! FRANKIE'S HERE!" someone ran through the party shouting. Everyone at the table stood up. 

"Oh, this is the cop brother I told you about!" Niko smiled excitedly and murmured to Roman, nudging him.

"All right, all right! Party's over!" Francis McReary walked through his old home with two uniformed cops behind him, looking at everyone with that smug look he always got when he busted someone.

"Hi Niko, how are ya?"

Niko didn't respond, only raised a hand in greeting. He still resented Francis for making him kill Derrick and putting him in a gigantic secret pickle with his girlfriend. It seemed like he was constantly waiting for the "perfect" time to do three things with Kate: have sex, propose and tell her who really killed her brother.

"Hi Katie."

"Francis," the youngest McReary sibling crossed her arms and forced a smile. 

"All right, everyone go home if you don't wanna pay a visit to Algonquin tonight. Who the hell are you?" He looked over his shoulder weirded out as Roman came up behind him, hovering close to him.

"Oh, I'm his cousin!" Roman pointed to Niko and smiled at Francis.

Francis grimaced as if Roman smelled bad, but he was actually wearing decent-smelling cologne. "Good to meet you. Where are my brothers?"

* * *

"_I _cockblocked _YOU? _So you're telling me, after _YEARS _of cockblocking me here and in the old country, _YOU'RE _gonna come for _ME _for cockblocking? Are you joking?" Roman couldn't stop laughing. It was Monday and the Bellic cousins and Mallorie were at the cab depot. Roman always pitched a fit when Niko sat behind the desk, but lately, he'd been encouraging it so he didn't have to deal with the pain of looking at Mallorie.

"No, I'm not joking!!" Niko half yelled, half laughed.

"_How _did I cockblock you?"

"I was literally THIS close" Niko squeezed his pointer finger and thumb together. "to scoring with Kate when you showed up and picked a fight with Gerry! GERRY, of all people! He could beat your ass easily, Roman! And he's my girlfriend's brother, to boot!"

"How was I to know that? And wait a second, scoring? You two were about to do it?"

"Yes!"

"What...I thought she said she wouldn't till she was married?"

"Yeah, she went on this thing about how she doesn't care about what anyone or God thinks and she wants to have sex with me."

"Damn...feminism at work!" Roman nodded to himself.

Niko and Mallorie both looked at him, confused. Before they could say anything, however, Bernie walked in.

"Hi guys!"

"Hey Bernie," all three said.

"You got cab three today, Bern," Roman tossed him some keys.

"Cool! Hey, Neeks...can I talk to you for a second?"

"Sure."

"Awwwww, he's gonna tell you he _loves_ you!" Roman mock pouted.

"Shut up, fatty Roman!"

"I'm not fat anymore, _Florian._"

"That's not my name!"

Niko laughed, shaking his head as he followed Bernie out to the garage. Bernie put a hand on Niko's shoulder.

"Listen, Niko...you and I go way back, right? And we stopped being friends for a while after we lost touch after the war and after you think I did...the thing, but then you found out I didn't..."

"Bernie, what are you trying to say?" Niko smiled.

"So, Roman says you're trying to get laid..."

Niko closed his eyes, annoyed. "Of course he would tell you that."

Bernie ignored him. "So, I'm gonna help you."

"How?"

"So, when Bryce and I broke up, I kept something of his. He doesn't know I kept it."

"What? Spit it out, Bern!"

Bernie held up some car keys. "His Infernus."

Niko raised his eyebrows. "An Infernus??"

Bernie dropped the keys in his hands. "All yours. A guaranteed lay every time in it."

"Even for straight guys?"

Bernie shrugged. "If it works on men, I don't see why it wouldn't work on women! Try it out on Kate this weekend, buddy!"

Bernie slapped Niko playfully on the arm, leaving Niko standing there, his brain working at a million miles a minute.


	5. Hot Date Gone Cold

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Serbian:
> 
> Hajde da vodimo ljubav = Let's make love
> 
> Smešno mesto = Trashy place
> 
> Šta ima = what's up
> 
> Warning: slight steam ahead ;) but also sad things at the end :(
> 
> P.S. if you like this fic, hate it, want to give me constructive criticism, or if you want to talk about how pretty the Bellic boys are with me, or whatever you want, drop me a line on Tumblr at teach-me-how-to-dougiefairbanks :)

"'Made reservations at viendemorte 4 Saturday night @ 8. Ill pick u up from the house @ 7:30. Wear something sexy. ;) Wear something sexy.' What does that even mean?" Kate whined as she read Niko's text again, annoyed. When she had gotten the text that afternoon at work, she had immediately texted Mallorie for help. Now, the two women were in the ladies section at Spender's in Algonquin looking at cocktail dresses.

"Honey, when a guy says 'wear something sexy,' it means 'we're going to dinner and then I'm gonna try and get in your pants.' Roman used to say it all the time."

"How are things with you guys?" Kate asked as she flipped through the rack.

Mallorie also flipped through, sighing. "I love him, but...he needs to grow up if he wants me back. I don't even care if we get married at this point. All I want is for him to tell me he loves me. In the meantime, I don't know what to do. Do I see someone else or do I wait for him? But I can't wait for him forever..." 

"Have you guys been talking at all, or?"

Mallorie shook her head slowly. Kate looked at her with wide eyes.

"What?? Mal, you work together and he’s technically your boss! Surely you must have said _ something _ to him!"

"Nothing."

"Is he scared?"

"Maybe, but you know Roman. Just being friends with a girl is a death sentence to him, so he probably thinks it's better to just not talk to me at all."

Both women giggled. Kate finished perusing the rack and threw her hands up and shook her head. 

"This is hopeless. I can't fit into anything here."

She turned to leave when Mallorie stopped her with wide eyes and pointed above Kate's head. Kate turned in the direction she was pointing and her eyes widened too. There, hanging on the wall, was a tight, sexy black Anna Rex cocktail dress with matching black pumps underneath.

"I can't wear that!" Kate scoffed.

"Sure you can! You could probably fit into it! Tonight's gonna be the night, Kate! You have to give him something he won't forget. Now come ON, go try it on!" 

After she tried it on, the two women kept walking around the store. "Uhh, so should I wear a bra and panties?"

"NO! No bra and panties!" Mallorie barked, making Kate jump. "And we also need to get you new earrings, new lipstick and makeup, eyeliner..."

Kate's mind clouded as Mallorie kept talking. Whatever Niko was planning had better be incredible if she was going to this much trouble.

* * *

"You realize you can't live with me anymore if she doesn't put out tonight, right, Niko?"

Roman was visiting Niko at his Alderney apartment for the first time. After making several offensive and sarcastic comments about how small the place was, he finally settled into one of the chairs and watched a Swingers game on the small box TV. Niko was in the bathroom shaving.

"Why can't I live with you anymore?"

"Because a guy, a family member, no less, whose girlfriend is a virgin, living with a guy who has sex regularly? Bad for the game, cousin."

"You don't even live here, first of all and second of all, considering I'm the only one out of both of us that has a girlfriend currently, I'd say I have more game than you, cousin. And why do you always treat me like a virgin?"

Roman laughed. "Because you act like one, man! Besides, I wouldn't want to live here anyway," he looked around. "_ Smešno mesto _. Who gave this place to you, anyhow?" 

"The mafia gave it to me last year when I was working for them," Niko said, as calmly as if he was telling his mother where he found a rock on the path leading out of the village like he used to when he was a child.

Roman rolled his eyes. "Of course they did."

Niko chuckled and shook his head and came out of the bathroom, drying his face with a towel. 

"When. Are. You. Going. To. Talk. To. Mallorie?" He clapped with each word. Roman got up and raised his voice.

"I. Do. Not. Know!" the older Bellic also clapped on each word. He let out an exasperated sigh and walked around the apartment, finally gripping the back of one of the chairs at the wooden table.

"Niko, cousin...you don't know what it is like to sit next to her every day and not...know what to say." Roman's voice was quiet, almost trembling, as if he was crying. "I want her back so badly, but I just..." Niko immediately felt guilty. He thought his cousin had just been procrastinating talking to Mallorie, but now he realized that it was genuinely hard for Roman to say anything to a woman that wasn't an allusion to wanting to sleep with her.

"Rom...if you need help, I'll help you..." As proud as he was of Roman for his newfound confidence and as grateful as he was that he didn't have to save his ass 24/7 anymore, Niko missed helping his cousin out in small matters like this.

"No, Niko. I need to do this on my own."

Niko nodded and both cousins faced each other, looking at the ground. Niko found out a way to cheer his cousin up.

"Hey, help me pick out something to wear, eh?"

"What do I look like, a chick?" Both cousins laughed. 

"Come on, man! I really want to impress Katie!"

"All right, all right. Let's see what you have." Roman reached into his closet and grimaced at what he found.

"Jesus, Niko, are you trying to relive your 20s? Ah, here we go!" He pulled out Niko's double-breasted black suit and red tie and black slacks and shoes and handed them to his cousin. "How do you know this car of Florian's is going to get you in the sack with Kate?"

"He said it was a guaranteed lay every time!"

"For gay guys, maybe."

"Look, Roman, it's going to happen tonight, all right? I have the car, the reservations, the girl, I'm going to get flowers and jewelry, this cannot fail!"

Roman silently judged him, but finally raised his eyebrows. "If you say so, cousin. And _ buy _ jewelry? Thought you usually rob stores.”

Niko shot him a look. "Are you going to talk to Mallorie tonight?"

"Hell no! I'm going to stay here and trash your mafia-owned apartment!" Roman clambered onto the bed and started jumping on it, but his head hit the ceiling and he fell to the bed moaning and rubbing his head in pain as Niko laughed at him.

"Owwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww...ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, that smarts. Hey, shut up!" Roman playfully punched Niko as the younger Bellic cousin jumped on the bed and they started a pillow fight.

* * *

Around seven, Niko started the long drive over to Dukes. After stopping at a flower shop down the street from his apartment and then at Dr. Quim Jewelry, Niko felt like a god driving in the orange Infernus. He remembered Bernie telling him that the car came with "special features." Pulling into an alleyway in Alderney City, he opened the glove compartment to find a series of buttons. One said "drinks." Niko curiously pressed it and two champagne flutes filled with bubbly rose out of the cup holders. Wide-eyed and barely believing what he was seeing, Niko found another button labeled "lights." He pressed it and the car lights started changing between the colors of the rainbow. Niko quickly pressed the button again, shaking his head.

"Too gay."

He found another button labeled "speakers" and pressed it. Bigger speakers emerged from the normal radio speakers and the radio lit up and started playing "Freak'n You." Niko quickly pressed the button again. The music turned off and the speakers disappeared. Curious, he turned the normal radio on and flipped over to The Vibe, only to hear a commercial. Turning it off, he pressed the button again and "Freak'n You" came back on the bigger speakers. He turned it off again and smiled, nodding to himself.

"Not bad, Florian!" He pulled out of the alleyway and set off to Dukes once more.

* * *

At the McReary homestead, Gerry and Packie sat downstairs watching the Swingers game while Kate was upstairs getting ready. It was funny; once she put on the dress, her confidence skyrocketed. The dress was tight and made the top of her breasts just barely visible. She completed the finishing touches of her lipstick and lip gloss and sprayed perfume on herself and put her hair in its usual ponytail. She smiled at herself in her vanity mirror. Mallorie had made her do away with her regular earrings and had given her some non-gaudy hoop earrings to wear. Kate smiled at herself, proud of herself; her room may have been painted pink, but she had always considered herself a bit tomboyish. Her usual blouses and camisoles were the girliest thing she ever wore, besides the occasional dress she wore when Niko took her fancy places. She'd worn casual dresses before, but none like this. This was fancy. This meant Niko was planning something big. They'd failed at making love at Packie and Gerry's party last week, but she was determined to try again tonight.

Satisfied with her appearance, she smiled as she texted Niko.

_ "All ready, babe. ;)" _

Immediately, she got a text back.

_ "on my way. ;)" _

She smiled and went downstairs. She was hoping to get past Packie and Gerry and out the door without them noticing, but a "ooooooooh!!!" and a wolf whistle from the living room made her stop dead in her tracks. She closed her eyes and cursed silently and went into the living room.

"Hey guys..."

"Damn, sis! Who dressed you up?" Packie looked her up and down.

"Uh, myself?"

"So are you gonna put out tonight or what?" Gerry asked.

"Maybe, all right?"

All three heard a car horn and went to the windows by the front door to see who it was. They saw a bright orange Infernus with Niko at the wheel. Gerry wolf-whistled as Kate looked on in shock.

"He's bringing out the big guns, Katie. You better sleep with him tonight!"

"Gerald!"

They watched Niko grab the flowers from the back seat and get out, locking the car and making his way to the front door.

"Go upstairs," Packie hissed to Kate.

"Why?"

"Cause you wanna make a grand entrance and surprise him! Go!" he shoved her gently and she scurried back upstairs. The doorbell rang a few seconds later and Packie opened it.

"Niko, man, what's up?"

"Hey." Niko slapped hands with Packie and Gerry.

"Kate's upstairs. KATIE! Mine and Gerald's future brother-in-law is here!" Packie shouted. Niko blushed and smiled.

"Coming!" Came a voice from upstairs. Kate took a deep breath and descended the stairs. She was trying to look sexy, but once she saw Niko's face, her heart melted and so did her face into a puddle of admiration. He rarely wore a suit for their dates, but it was such a treat when he did. He cleaned up so nicely; his stubble was nicely trimmed and his cologne was new and smelled divine.

Niko was trying to be sexy too, but as always, one look at Kate and his heart was stolen. She looked incredible; her black dress was sexy as hell, yet tasteful at the same time, ending just above her knees. Her rose-scented perfume wafted up his nostrils and her lips were a sexy, kissable red covered by lip gloss. 

He smiled as she approached him. "Don't you look beautiful?" He kissed her and she smiled.

"You look handsome too. Well, boys, I guess we're off!"

Kate exited the house, but Gerry stopped Niko before he left.

"Hey man, do you need condoms? Because I have some--"

"Gerald!"

"Sorry."

* * *

Contentment. That's what Kate felt as she and Niko cruised beneath the glittering lights of Star Junction. She was sure tonight was supposed to be his way of getting in her pants, but they could both tell the mood was quickly changing. Both guessed that that was what being in love was. Kate rested her head on Niko's shoulder as he drove. He smiled down at her, the twinkling lights reflected in her emerald green eyes. It took his breath away. At a stoplight, he softly kissed her forehead, making her eyes close softly. This night was so perfect that didn't matter if it happened tonight or not.

"My Prince Charming..."

Niko smiled. "That's what Alejandra at Tw@ calls me!"

"Theeere's my mood-killing and human-killing European." 

Niko laughed. "You wouldn't have me any other way!" He quickly kissed her as he pulled up to the sidewalk in front of the Triangle Building and tossed the keys to the valet. He and Kate smiled at each other and strolled arm in arm into the elaborate building and into the restaurant. It was dimly lit and romantic inside, with candles lighting up each of the tables. They approached the maître-d.

"Table for two, please. Should be under Bellic," Niko smiled down at Kate sexily. She looked up at him smiling, but she was secretly melting. His voice was sexy, his smile was sexy, everything about him was sexy. She'd have started making out with him then and there if they weren't in such a classy place. The maître-d smiled as he found Niko's name. 

"Right this way!" he smiled and grabbed two menus and led them to a table near the bar. Niko pulled Kate's chair out for her, making her melt even more as she sat down. 

"Can I get you two some drinks?" the waiter asked them as Niko sat down.

"Your most expensive wine," Niko wanted to say, but he felt that was impolite and let Kate do the talking. He didn't like wine anyway, but Roman had told him that it was the drink to order on a fancy date with a woman.

"What's your most expensive wine?" she asked, smiling, relieving Niko. But he knew that it was only because they were at a French restaurant; if they were anywhere else, he knew she'd either ask for whiskey or Guinness or Bailey's.

"Ahhh, madam, that would be Château Lafite 1787, $70 a bottle."

Kate looked at Niko as if daring him to spend that much money on wine, but to her surprise, he kept his eyes on her and said "we'll take it," and she melted into a puddle. The waiter bowed and left.

"I uh...have something for you," he smiled at her and pulled out a long black box and slid it over to her. Kate gasped; Niko wasn't the type of guy to really buy gifts for a woman, except for flowers.

"Niko..." she looked at him in awe.

"Open it," he smiled charmingly, the candle in the center of the table highlighting his rugged, handsome features as he reclined in the chair, smiling sexily. Kate smiled, doing as she was told and opened the box. Her jaw dropped at its content; a silver bracelet with "N+K Together Forever" engraved on it.

"Oh Niko, it's so cheesy," she giggled. "I love it..."

He came around behind her and as she wrapped it around her wrist, he snapped it together and kissed her soft, creamy neck, massaging her arm.

"You look so beautiful..." he murmured.

"You're really trying to get laid tonight, aren't you?"

"I just wanted to take you someplace nice. We never go to fancy places like this."

"It's nice, Niko. I like it," she smiled warmly and took his hand as the waiter returned with their red wine, pouring each of them a glass.

"What will you have to eat?" The waiter pulled out his notepad. Kate looked at the menu.

"Oh...roast duck sounds delicious!"

Niko was never any good at ordering for himself due to his indecisiveness, so he just said "I'll have the same," and both handed their menus to the waiter. Niko wanted to show Kate he was trying and took a sip of wine, but immediately spat it back into the glass.

"Ew, no...sticking with vodka..." he quickly took a sip of water, making Kate laugh.

"You always say vodka is an acquired taste. Wine is an acquired taste too," she took a swig of wine. Niko admired her as she drank; Kate could make even the most mundane action look beautiful.

"Didn't know the Irish were fans of wine."

Kate shrugged. "I feel like I'm betraying womankind or whatever if I don't drink wine."

One thing they both loved about their relationship is that even when they planned for nights to be flirty and sexy, they always ended up talking and laughing. Being friendzoned for a year had its benefits after all, Niko thought. They talked and laughed until the food came, then they talked and laughed some more. Niko ordered a bottle of vodka and drank it and Kate polished off the wine. Finally, after both drinks were finished, they paid the check and left.

They gazed at each other dreamily as they waited for the valet to bring Niko's Infernus. They climbed in and Niko started to drive, but he wished he had a convertible so the lights of Star Junction would fully engulf them, but for now, he had to settle for them being reflected in Kate's perfect green eyes.

Niko parked in the space outside the Middle Park East apartment and turned the car off, putting his arm around Kate.

"All I planned was dinner, but...I am not ready to go home just yet," his eyes bore into hers.

"Me neither..."

"Want to walk down to Jerkov's?"

"Sure, I'd like a drink. Look at my family!"

They smiled and walked arm in arm down the street to Jerkov's. Niko couldn't stop looking into her eyes. They were a few blocks away from Star Junction now, but the light from every streetlight they passed under was reflected in her eyes. Kate looked up into his eyes. 

"Your eyes are twinkling..." she said dreamily.

"I'm happy. For the first time in a long, long time."

She smiled. "I'm happy too." 

They smiled at each other and ascended the ramp to Jerkov's. Once inside the classy cocktail bar, he leaned against the bar sipping vodka while she nursed her Manhattan, him falling more in love with her every time the drink touched her glossy pink lips. The bar was filled with couples, but they felt like a king and queen ruling over their kingdom. They had a couple of drinks then went outside and made out passionately under the glow of a streetlight, not caring if anyone saw. Let them watch, they thought. This city could use more people in love. 

"I have an idea," Niko reluctantly broke the kiss. "Let's go to my North Holland place."

Kate accepted and they got back into the car. Once he started driving, Niko casually opened the glove compartment. Kate looked over, for some reason thinking he was going to pull out his pistol or the little bottle of cologne he always kept in there, but she became confused as inside the glove compartment was not assorted knick knacks, but a series of buttons with labels on them. Looking at her, he pressed the button labeled "speakers." Kate's eyes widened as the speakers rose from the normal radio speakers and "Freak'n You" engulfed the car. Niko put his arm around her and pressed the "drinks" button and the champagne flutes appeared. Kate raised an eyebrow and shook her head.

"Really?"

Niko waggled his eyes and smiled suggestively, his arm still around her.

"Congratulations, you're now what Americans call a tryhard."

"Oh, we have those in Serbia too. _ Potrudi se više." _

Kate smiled and rubbed her nose with his. "Well, you're that," before kissing him. The light they were at turned green and he drove, but still kept his arm around her.

"Sooo, do I get, uh, how you say...the golden ticket?"

"Drive us back to your place and find out..." her sultry voice floated into his ear as she kissed his cheek and the corner of his mouth. It felt like years, but they finally arrived to the apartment building on Xenotime Street. Arms intertwined once more, they giggled and greeted the front desk manager, who smiled and nodded and looked on as they entered the elevator and kissed. Arriving at the dark penthouse, he took her hand and led her onto the wood and stone-floored patio. All the lights were on, illuminating a pillow, a sheet and a blanket on the ground. Niko put his hands in his pockets and smiled and leaned against the door jam, admiring Kate as a smile tugged at her lips.

"You criminals think of everything, don't you?"

Niko smiled. "I just wanted tonight to be...special, you know?"

Kate smiled and played with his tie. "You know you could give me a cardboard box and I'd love it."

"Yes, but I can afford more than a cardboard box and you deserve more than a cardboard box."

Kate giggled. "Come here." They started to kiss lovingly as she took off his suit jacket and ran her hands up his vest and shirt. She giggled deliciously against his lips.

"Eastern European guys are so hot in suits..."

"_ All _Eastern European guys?" he teased, smiling.

"Someone's jealous..."

Niko stopped teasing and buried his face in Kate's neck as she wrapped her arms around his neck, nuzzling his cheek.

"Katie...I want to be the only man that touches you..."

"You are," she kissed his ear. "And you will be."

They kissed deeply as he unzipped her dress.

_ "Tako sam zaljubljen u tebe..." _ "I'm so in love with you." He always said that to her. Kate scoffed at people who thought Eastern European languages were "evil." _ They should get themselves a Serbian man, _ she thought.

"Niko, I want this to be the night..." her breath was heavy against his lips.

"I do too..."

She took his hand and led him into the light given by the lights above. It was there in front of the blanket that he let her dress fall and they kissed passionately, Niko excited because she wasn't wearing a bra or panties. Kate quickly got his clothes off too with his help. 

"What if an LCPD helicopter sees us?" she giggled.

"Then we'll both have criminal records, baby."

Kate smirked. "Francis can get us out."

"True."

They were on the blanket now, naked and kissing in the warm night air that featured a gentle breeze. The wood flooring was smooth underneath them and caused them no pain as they kissed, Niko holding her in his arms.

"Tell me you want to make love to me..." Kate's gorgeous whisper against his lips sent his heart fluttering.

_ "Hajde da vodimo ljubav..." _ But just as he was about to enter her, his phone rang, making Kate groan.

"Now...?" she half groaned, half purred, nipping his lips as he reached for his phone in his pants pocket. "It's probably just Roman..."

"With who I am, I cannot take chances. I'll get them off, though, baby, I promise." Niko quickly kissed her as he finally found the phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

A thick Liberty City accent sounded on the other end. "Don't worry, Nicky. This can still be a night to remember for your girl."

Niko's eyes widened, before he could react, his sixth sense detected the bullet that was speeding towards them. He quickly dived and pushed Kate out of the way. She landed against the outdoor table leg and muttered "ow," rubbing her head. She looked up to see Niko pulling his pants on and shooting at the same time.

"Niko!!"

"GET DRESSED AND GET INSIDE!!"

"Niko, I can help you!"

"Just do as I say, Kate!!"

Kate scrambled to find her clothes and scurried inside as a bullet just missed her as she closed the glass balcony doors. A bullet shattered the glass and made her scream, which she instantly regretted; she felt like she should be used to gun violence by now because of her brothers, but now that it was actually happening to her, she had no idea what to do. 

Kate took cover under the pool table, hurriedly getting dressed. She covered her ears and eyes, but the yells she heard broke through her defenses. She looked up curiously when she heard Niko's angry shouts over his sniper rifle, machine gun, or whatever gun he chose.

"PUSH ME! PUSH ME!"

"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH MOTHERFUCKERS!!!"

"IT'S YOU OR ME!"

Kate's mouth hung slightly open. She knew her boyfriend was a cold killer, but she didn't know he was _this _cold. 

Outside, Niko shouted "FUCK OFF!" to the last of Pegorino's snipers and picked him off. The night was quiet once more, but Niko was still pulsating with anger. He let out a loud yell to the night sky and started punching the wall of the building. Kate poked her head around to see and she gulped in shock and fear. She'd never seen Niko this angry. He caught sight of her and she saw his face. It was that of an enraged rhino. His teeth were gritted, every hair on his stubble bristled and he was panting. Kate quickly turned back inside. Niko's face softened as he realized what he had done and he ran inside.

"Kate!" he came inside, but she nowhere to be found. "Kate?"

Niko walked slowly around the apartment and finally heard sobbing coming from behind the small island. He slowly approached it and turned the corner to find Kate hunched in a ball, her face in her hands crying. Niko's heart immediately broke.

"Kate..."

"I knew you were a killer. I didn't know you were this."

"Katherine..." he knelt beside her and gently reached out a hand to touch her, but she swatted it away.

"DON'T touch me and DON'T call me Katherine!"

Niko stayed silent as she cried, hurting for her but unsure of what to say. Finally--and he was almost grateful for it--Kate broke the silence. She stopped crying, but her voice was shaking.

"Here's what's going to happen," she said quietly without looking at him. "you are going to tell me everything about you."

"But I thought you said you knew who I am. I'm like your brothers," he wasn't even trying to be a smart aleck; those were always her exact words to him. Luckily for him, she didn't burst out.

"That was before I saw...this," she got up and made her way to the couch. Her heels were on and normally, Niko would be turned on by the way her ass moved from side to side, but tonight, all he could do was pray. Pray that this wasn't the end of them.

He watched her sit down on the couch and stare at the blank screen of the TV, her eyes bored. It was as if she were in a zombie-like trance. Niko slowly approached.

"Do you want something to dr--"

"No I don't, Niko."

He nodded slightly and sat down, feeling even more guilty when she only slightly scooted over from him. Clearing his throat, he began.

"I grew up very poor," she almost had to strain to listen even though the apartment was silent, his voice was so quiet. "the house I grew up in had no electricity until I was 12."

"Poor you." Niko shot her a look, but ignored her.

"Childhood was...normal, I guess. Poor, but normal. Then the war broke out. All of my friends and I chose to fight. One day..." he closed his eyes and she looked over and her eyes softened for the first time, realizing how hard this was for him. "One day, we were ambushed. It was a setup...for money. I and Bernie and one other man survived. I vowed to find out who betrayed us. The war ended and Roman had already gone to America, so...I tried to find work, but couldn't. So I did the only thing I knew how to do: I killed. I was in underworld for a while and went to prison. After I got out, I met--"

"Bulgarin."

Niko closed his eyes, forgetting that he had told her about this. "Yes. I smuggled people, sold people...then, during a smuggling run to Italy, our boat sank. Bulgarin blamed me for it, even though I had nothing to do with it. I swam to safety and joined the merchant navy. That's how I ended up here."

"Then you reconnected with Roman, got involved with the Russian mob and..."

Niko nodded. "My stupidity caused Roman's home and business to be burned down. And then what did I do? I kept getting stupider. Met Puerto Rican drug dealers, Packie and then...you."

He looked at Kate lovingly, hoping for some sort of reciprocation, but she just stared at the coffee table expressionless. "Then Francis, then Gerry, then Derrick..." he took a deep breath. "Then came the Italians and that is who I was dealing with just now. The Pegorinos. Your brothers have been working for them."

He watched for her reaction. When she said nothing, he continued pleading his case.

"Katie, I've killed people, smuggled people, sold people...but I have always been loyal and I've never cheated on you or anything."

Kate internally facepalmed. The shit he just did and he was concerned with if she thought he was cheating on her?? _That's _what he thought she was worried about??

"Niko, I am going to ask you a question."

Niko hadn't gone to church in years, but he internally crossed himself, for he knew what was coming. "Sure."

Kate closed her eyes. "Who killed Derrick?"

Niko sighed, closing his eyes.

"Niko. Tell me."

Niko's eyes squinted shut. "I did."

He expected a full-on screaming meltdown from her, but instead, he opened his eyes and Kate just silently nodded and got up.

"Delete my number. Do not contact me, do not come to my house, do not ask how I'm doing. I never want to see you again."

"Katie..." Niko reached out to her and he swatted her away.

"DON'T touch me! And to think I was going to give you my virginity..." she shook her head at him, disgusted. "Fuck you."

"Katie, wait...Francis made me..."

"Jesus CHRIST, Niko, why is it always everyone else's fault but yours?"

"I didn't say that! I did not have a choice!"

"YES YOU DID!" Tears were streaming down Kate's face now. "You had the choice not to kill my fucking brother! Not to make my mother cry almost every night! Not to make my brothers go off on some revenge mission after he died! You had the choice to avoid all of that, Niko!"

Niko said nothing, only closed his eyes.

"And you chose to kill my brother," Kate said quietly and shook her head, trying to hold back more tears. She called the elevator. "Stay away from me, Niko."

"I did not have a choice!"

"YES YOU DID! Just like I have the choice to walk out of this apartment and cut you out of my life forever, you had the choice not to kill Derrick!"

Niko couldn't help it. The words were out of his mouth before he could stop them. "Yeah well, I also have the choice to get the guys, go to Honkers right now and fuck 10 girls and have the best time of my life, since you won't fucking put out!"

"Good! Do it! I hope you get a fucking STD and die!"

"I hope I do too!"

She left the apartment and Niko was back to his usual revenge-seeking self. He called up Roman.

_"Šta ima_, cousin?"

"Get ready and get Jacob and Brucie ready. We're going to Honker's." 

Before Roman could say anything else, Niko hung up and as much as he didn't want to and hated when he did it, broke down crying, dropping his phone. He punched the wall over and over again, not caring if his punches left holes. He grew exhausted and fell down onto the wooden floor and punched the ground, crying as he stared up at the ceiling.

* * *

Kate hailed a cab and cried all the way home. The cabbie asked her what was wrong several times, but she told him to just keep driving and that it was nothing. The cab dropped her off in front of her house and she walked in, her tears clouding her eyes. Francis had decided to visit. _Fucking perfect, _Kate thought. 

She busted open the front door and stormed up to her room. Francis, Gerry and Packie got up from the living room couch where they were watching TV and rushed over.

"Kate! What happened?" Francis asked, flabbergasted.

She said nothing and cried as she rushed upstairs, still in her beautiful dress, but her makeup a mess.

"I'm gonna kick his ass!" Packie narrowed his eyes.

Kate cried as she burst through the door to her room and stormed over to her bulletin board where she posted all the pictures of her and Niko.

That picture from their double date with Roman and Mallorie? She tore that up.

The picture of them together from Francis' birthday dinner? Torn.

All the photo booth pictures from the mall in Dukes with Niko's silly faces that she hated to admit to herself that she still loved? Ripped in half.

Kate collapsed to the floor, crying hysterically. She wasn't even thinking about how she was going to tell her brothers. All she could think about was how the man she loved betrayed her. She looked at her bracelet last. She tore it off. Niko + Kate Together Forever? Not anymore. She threw the necklace into her trash can.


	6. Boys' Night Out

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel like I should clarify: even though this fic takes place a year after the events of the game, Dimitri is dead, but Jimmy Pegorino is not because Roman and Mallorie's wedding drama hasn't happened yet. That's why Niko and Kate were ambushed by Pegorino's men in the last chapter. Sorry for not making this clearer!! Hope everyone is still enjoying. :)
> 
> Also, there's gonna be serious angsty stuff a lot from here on out, so I'm gonna try to lighten the ends and beginnings of chapters up with Roman on his bullshit, as always, lol. :) The next few chapters are going to be about Roman as well!
> 
> Also there's a BDSM scene in this chapter. ;)

_ Niko...fuck. _She wished she could say he was trash to her now. Nothing. Worthless. That she didn't give a fuck about him anymore. But even now as she sat crying on her bed, the pictures of her and the Serb that she had torn up lying on the ground, his hazel eyes that had twinkled so much an hour earlier still twinkling in her mind, along with his awkward smile, his yummy bottom lip, his kisses, his body, his voice, his beard, his accent, his everything. She knew he was probably out fucking a prostitute in Bohan getting that STD she wished on him, but she secretly wished he wasn't and that if he was, he didn't get one.

Kate's crying was interrupted by shouting and banging on her door. She felt even more guilty; she knew this was how Packie and Gerry would react. She didn't know how to feel about Francis, but she was hoping he could corral her more hot-headed brothers.

"KATE! KATE!" Packie charged up the stairs and banged on his baby sister's door. "OPEN THIS FUCKING DOOR AND TELL ME WHAT HE DID, KATIE, OR I'LL BLOW HIS BRAINS OUT!"

Francis and Gerry came running up the stairs behind him, Gerry's large fists pounding on Kate's door. "KATE, OPEN THE FUCKING DOOR!"

Kate wanted to scream at them to go away and leave her alone, but she had wasted all of her energy on tears. Much to her relief, she heard Francis stop them.

"BOTH OF YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP!"

"FUCK OFF, FRANKIE! I TOLD THAT SLAV BASTARD IF HE EVER FUCKS WITH US, I'LL FUCK WITH HIS FAMILY!" Gerry shouted.

"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW IF HE DID ANYTHING!"

"WHY THE FUCK IS SHE CRYING THEN??" Packie indicated the door.

"FUCKING ASK HER!" Francis knew very well why his sister was crying, or at least thought he knew; there was only one occasion when all of the McRearys (except for him) had cried as hard as Kate was right now: last year at Derrick's funeral.

"What is going on???" Maureen came out of her bedroom in her pajamas, weary after having been woken up. She too knocked on Kate's door, albeit gently. "Katie?"

"Go back to bed, Ma!" Gerry yelled, which earned him a hard shove from Francis. 

"Don't talk to our fucking mother that way!"

"Or what? You want me to beat your ass again? I'll do it again!" Gerry may have been younger than Francis, but he towered over his older brother.

At the sound of her mother's voice, Kate got up and slowly made her way to the door and opened it a crack. "All of you come in IF you promise to stay calm."

The rest of the McReary clan nodded sheepishly and entered the pink room filled with pictures of Kate when she was a child. It was cleaner than any of the boys' rooms (minus Francis') by a long shot. But their gaze immediately went to the torn pictures of her and Niko on the floor, around which they all sat in a circle. Francis picked up some of them, hiding the fear that he'd have to reveal his secret soon. Maureen put a hand on her daughter's shoulder.

"Katie? What happened? Did Nicholas do something?"

"His name's Niko, Ma," Gerry scoffed.

"She's technically right," Packie pointed out.

"Both of you shut up," Francis snapped tersely.

"Kate, if you're this ashamed about having sex..." Packie leaned forward as Maureen's eyes widened, horrified.

"We didn't have sex, Patrick," Kate wiped a tear away.

"Then what happened?"

Kate took a shuddering breath. "_ Promise _ you won't do anything to him? Like, he's an asshole because of this, but...I still don't want anything to happen to him."

"We can't make that promise, Kate. You know that," Gerry said in a quiet, pointed voice. Kate hated to admit it, but loyalty was a good quality her brothers had. She just wished it wouldn't end in her ex's (was he her ex now? Or were they just on a break?) death.

Kate took another shuddering breath and closed her eyes. "Niko killed Derrick..." she said quietly.

Gerry's eyes widened as he scrambled up. "MotherFUCKER!"

"Gerry, STOP!" Kate raised her voice for the first time all night.

"What the hell did Derrick ever do to him?? They were friends!"

"Well...that's the thing. He said he was..." Kate's eyes found Francis', big and wide as if warning her that if she said anything, he'd kill her. But suddenly, Francis's jaw dropped open.

"He TOLD you??"

"Francis, what is going on??" Maureen looked rapidly between her children. Gerry and Packie turned on Francis.

"What. Did you. Do?" Gerry said in a sinister voice.

"He was already dead, Gerry," Francis' eyes narrowed. "don't pretend like you didn't want him dead too." 

Maureen put a hand over her mouth. "Francis? You killed Derrick?"

"I had Niko kill him, Ma. Your son was already dead. Niko just finished the job."

Their backs were turned to her, but Kate could tell that her brothers' faces were displaying the looks of two men trying like hell to restrain themselves from lunging at Francis. Instead, Gerry just pointed behind him at the door.

"Get the fuck out of here before I beat you again," he said in a quiet, sinister voice. Francis may have been beaten by Gerry when they were children, but as an adult, he wasn't fazed. The older McReary narrowed his eyes.

"You wanted him dead too."

"GET OUT!!!" Packie shouted.

Francis looked at his siblings and mother evilly and left. Before he exited, he leaned over Kate.

"I'm sorry, Katie," he said quietly.

"DON'T FUCKING TALK TO HER!"

"Patrick!" Maureen scolded.

Francis sneered down at his brother.

"I should've had Niko kill both of you." His voice was soft but lethal. Packie lunged at him as he left, but Gerry held him back. All four heard the police cruiser start and drive away. Once the hum of the engine faded into the distance, Kate's brothers sat down on the floor in a circle around her--who buried her face in her hands--and the pictures. Maureen came up behind her and put a hand on her back.

"Do you love him, Kate?"

There it was. The $64,000 question. Kate hung her head and sighed as more tears formed at the corner of her eyes and she wiped them away. 

"Ugh, Ma...he killed my fucking brother! ...Sorry," she turned and saw her mother's stern face at her swearing. Packie and Gerry stifled a laugh. She looked back down at the floor and sighed. "Of course I love him, but...he killed my brother..."

Maureen sighed and hugged her from behind. "Derrick sacrificed his life. You may need to sacrifice your heart, Katie."

And she left, leaving Kate to mull over her words. 

"Why don't you just go talk to him, Kate?" Packie said.

"No...not now."

"Why not?"

She sighed. "We got into a fight after he told me he killed Derrick. He said he was gonna go fuck 10 girls and I said that I hope he gets an STD and dies."

Gerry groaned. "Awww, Kate, that's a third grade insult! You have to get _ mean! _ You should have said 'I hope you sleep with a hooker and she steals your money, hacks your bank account and curses your future children into being Satanists!'"

Kate giggled shyly while Packie chuckled. Gerry always knew how to make her laugh when she was sad. He always used to cheer her up when she was a child. But her older brother stopped laughing soon after and asked another question she was dreading.

"So are you guys...over?" he pushed further.

Kate sighed again. "I don't know. I don't know what we are. He's probably in bed with a girl right now."

Packie stood up. "Then we'll go talk to him."

_ "Please _don't do anything to him, Patrick."

"We're not. We just need to tell him we know what really happened to Derrick." 

* * *

"Hey cousin."

"You ready?"

"Yeah..."

"Are the boys ready?"

"Niko, what's this all about?"

"I just want to have guys' night out, Roman. We haven't had one in a long time."

A sigh came from the other end of the phone. "All right, cousin. Uh, I'm at the apartment, come collect me."

"I'll be there in next hour." Niko hung up and stared at the floor. An hour had passed since Kate left. True to his word, he was going to go find the hottest girl either at Honkers or Maisonette 9 and go to bed with them, but why wasn't he moving? He should be _ excited _; he and Roman were about to hit the club like old times, wingmanning each other, single cousins in America, he was about to (or planning to, at least) get laid for the first time in a year, but he didn't make a move. He hated the feeling of needing someone to talk to. He hated being needy, bit he needed to talk to someone in that moment. Sighing, he picked up his phone and texted Roman.

_ "Actually cousin...can u come over here? Need some1 2 talk 2." _

_ "Figured you would...be right over." _

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Niko was lying on the floor staring at the ceiling while Roman sat on the couch looking down at him. The older Bellic cousin looked down at the younger with a concerned parent look on his face, one leg crossed over the other and his hands clasped on his knee.

"So how much trouble did you get in for telling the truth?" Roman asked quietly.

Niko sighed and looked at his cousin. "Remember how much trouble I got in with you when I told you how Aunt Lidija really died?"

Roman nodded once solemnly; he still hurt from last year when Niko told him how his mother really died just after killing Dimitri. Niko looked back up at the ceiling.

"This was 10 times worse."

"So you are going to make it 100 times worse by going out and cheating on her?"

"She said not to contact her."

Roman raised his eyebrows. "Wow...I mean...at least you told the truth...so...I guess we're both single again..."

"Yep..."

Both cousins looked at the ground until Niko looked at Roman with a gleam in his eyes. "So let's _ do _something about it!"

"What...?"

Niko sat up. "Roman, I wasn't lying. We haven't had guys' night in a while, I want to forget about Kate, I am sure you want to forget about Mallorie, we are single, let's go out to a titty bar and then to a club and meet beautiful women and get laid, like we used to in the Old Country!"

Roman looked at his cousin for a while before smiling and nodding. "Let's do it, cousin." They slapped and shook hands. 

* * *

A half hour later, the cousins got ready together after Roman ran back to the Middle Park East apartment to get some clubbing clothes and Niko drove over to Boabo to pick up Brucie. Roman wore his burgundy shirt and black sport jacket and, even though his hair was already drenched in gel, gelled it up some more so it spiked and covered himself in cologne. He popped his collar and did a little dance.

"Cousin, the ladies are gonna be all OVER me tonight!!"

Niko laughed as he came out of the bathroom in a black and gray striped button-down shirt and black jeans after drenching himself in cologne as well. He didn't have to gel his hair; having short hair allowed him to get away with pretty much always near-perfect hair without styling it.

_ "Rođak, _ you always say that, then you get no girls."

"Tonight is different, Niko. Tonight, we are newly single. Tonight, we are once again hot European bachelors looking for beautiful American women to bed. Tonight, we get LAID!" 

They laughed and slapped hands as Brucie pulled on his t-shirt and gave himself a full body drench of cologne before coming out of the bathroom.

"Hey Brucie, where's Jacob?" Niko asked.

"Ahhh, he wouldn't come. Something about Rastafarians not being allowed to drink."

"He's gotten drunk with me before..."

"Ahhh, you know those Rasta types. The weed gets em loopy."

All three men chuckled. Roman went into the kitchen and opened the fridge and pulled out a bottle of whiskey that Gerry had given Niko and grabbed three glasses. "Let's start this night off right, eh, boys?"

Brucie and Niko said "hell yeah!" as Roman poured them and himself a glass and all three raised them. Roman was about to announce his toast when they heard the elevator open in the hall and the doorbell rang. The guys looked at each other, confused.

"Who's that, Niko?" Roman asked.

"I don't know...Jacob?" Niko put his glass down on the night stand and went to go answer the door. Once he opened it, a look of fear and confusion came upon his face as both Packie and Gerry stood in front of him.

"How did you...guys know I was here?" Niko didn't know what else to say.

"We know where you live, man," Packie said, bored. Roman and Brucie became curious and inched over to see what was happening.

"Look, I'm sure this is why you're here, so yes, I killed Derrick, but Francis--"

"Frankie told us what happened," Packie said.

Niko didn't know if he felt relief or more fear, but he nodded and looked down. Packie looked down too, but shook his head in disbelief.

"Why didn't you walk away, man?" he asked quietly. Niko threw his hands out to his sides and shook his head.

"He threatened to put me away if I didn't. He was probably joking, but..."

Packie and Gerry looked at each other as if questioning whether or not to believe him. Roman and Brucie came over to within view of the door.

"Really, NB? This clown again?" Roman whined. Gerry stopped leaning against the door frame and pointed at Roman.

"Hey! You wanna go with me, buddy? After I forgave you?"

"Oh yeah, you're a real saint, pal."

"Enough!" Niko yelled. "Look, guys, I'm sorry about Derrick. But when you are given orders with an ultimatum, you must follow, even if it means hurting people you love."

Packie looked down; he knew that fact all too well after working with the Pegorinos, who he felt guilty about introducing Niko to; his best friend and his sister were now being relentlessly stalked by them.

"I'm sorry, all right?" Niko said again.

"Kate's pretty pissed off at you," Gerry pointed out quietly.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious."

Packie looked at Niko, Roman and Brucie all dressed up. "Where are you guys going?"

"Uh...we were just going to have a guys' night out..."

"YEAH, homie! We're gonna go to Maisonette 9 and get. Some fucking. Bitches!"

"Brucie, not the time," Roman admonished as Niko put a hand on his forehead and shook his head. To his relief, Packie and Gerry didn't get mad. Packie only issued a warning.

"Listen, man, I wouldn't go out and fuck around. Kate says she doesn't know what you two are..."

"Oh, that's easy!" Brucie's face lit up. "Human beings!"

They all stared at him. Roman put his hands in front of his chest, forming a circle, and pressed his lips together.

_ "Not _ what he meant."

Gerry leaned in towards Niko and murmured, "Is he always this stupid?"

"Oh trust me, it's going to get way weirder."

"ANYWAY," Packie got everyone's attention again. "look, man, I get you think you're single and you probably are, but if you bring a chick home, it's gonna kill her."

Niko sighed. He was right. It would hurt him too; he'd never be able to live with himself if he slept with someone else. In a way, it felt like he was saving himself for Kate too, even though he wasn't a virgin.

"Hey...you guys want to come with us?" he asked.

Gerry chuckled slightly. "What, you want us to keep an eye on you or something?"

"Well, I mean...we were just going to have guys' night because we haven't had one in a while..."

"Yeah, go back to your mother's and get ready and meet us back here! You can even come too!" Roman pointed at Gerry.

"Shut the fuck up," Gerry scoffed, making Roman chuckle.

Packie smiled and nodded. "All right, man," he slapped hands with Niko. "we'll see ya in an hour."

The two Irishmen went home, got clothes and an hour later, arrived back at the Northwood apartment and got ready while Niko, Roman and Brucie hung out and "preened like peacocks," as Brucie put it. Whatever that meant. Once everyone was ready to go, Gerry found the bottle of whiskey that Roman had brought out earlier and poured each man a glass as they all raised them.

"To guys' night!" 

"No women!"

"Well, none for Niko, at least."

"Shut up!" Niko laughed. All of them let out a collective yell of "GUYS' NIGHT!!!!", clinked their glasses and downed their whiskey, headed outside and hailed a cab to Alderney.

* * *

Two hours later, Kate was left with a feeling of numbness throughout her entire body. She'd cried all her makeup off, so she didn't have to worry about that. She'd changed into her nightgown and let her hair down and went to bed, then cried some more when she remembered that this was Niko's favorite look of hers, minus the crying, of course. 

She couldn't believe she was acting like this. He had killed her oldest brother and she still loved him. _ Why _ did love make people do and think such stupid things? She hoped it was involuntary, but her head kept looking at the pictures of her and Niko still lying on the floor. She din't have the heart to throw them away. Yet her bracelet was so easy to get rid of. She figured that it was because it was on her body. 

The other place her eyes kept looking was to her phone. All of her body's movements were involuntary as she picked it up, went into her contacts and found his name, still with all the heart emojis next to it. She sighed looking at them; they were so stupid and teenage girlish--she really should delete them even if her and Niko hadn't broken up, but she couldn't find the strength or heart to edit his contact information. She wanted to punch herself. _ Are you fucking kidding me? I don't have the heart to edit someone's CONTACT INFO??? _

Sighing and wondering what she was doing, she clicked on his name clicked the message icon. Tears almost started flowing again when their past text messages, filled with love, flirtation and his stupid jokes and emojis, popped up. But she took a deep breath and clicked on the empty text space and began to type. Tears started to form in her eyes as she did, but she kept going as if she was being tortured.

_ "Niko, I am so sorry. I love you so much. I don't care that you killed Derrick. Well I do, but...Frankie told us what happened. He isn't remorseful at all. I know you wouldn't have killed him if he hadn't threatened to put you away. Niko, I'm sorry I said you should get an STD. I don't want you to get one. I want you to be with me, clean and safe in my bed and we'll lie together and hold each other and you'll tell me everything's gonna be alright. I love you.............please forgive me.....I'm begging you. Idk where you are now but...please." _

Kate sighed as tears rolled down her cheeks. She pressed send and waited a few minutes. Niko usually responded immediately; one wouldn't think it, but he watched his phone like a hawk. So when five minutes passed with no response from him, Kate threw her phone on the floor--which, luckily, was carpet so her screen wouldn't crack, because that was the last thing she needed right now--and her heavy sobs recommenced as she covered her face with her hands.

* * *

In Alderney, the night was quiet, but inside Honkers, loud house music blared, the club flashed shades of blue, pink and green as beautiful, half-naked strippers danced on the two poles. Niko, Brucie, Roman, Packie and Gerry sat at the bar in front of the poles and downed their fifth shot of vodka, Brucie spitting it out as everyone else laughed at him. 

"How do you motherfuckers drink that shit?" He grimaced.

"Acquired taste, Brucie!" Niko shouted over the noise. "And speaking of taste..." his voice trailed off as his eye caught the eye of a brunette stripper wearing nothing but panties walking past him, her ass moving side to side. She ran a hand across his chest, making him smile seductively, but it was his cousin she was after as she ran a hand across Roman's chest and kissed his ear.

"Hi Roman."

"Hellooo..." Roman smiled his charming smile.

"Long time, no see. Wish you'd come out to Alderney more, baby. Alderney boys don't fuck like you European boys."

"For you I just might, beautiful," he ran his thumb across her chin, making her giggle.

"Come see me in the back if you want a private show, baby," her sweet voice drifted away from him. He watched her ass leave and turned back to the guys, who all looked at him with raised eyebrows.

"I don't know who she is!" he held his hands up. The guys all laughed and teased him, knowing he was full of shit; Roman's cock had come into contact with every stripper at the Triangle and Honkers.

"I don't know who she is, I swear!"

Before the guys could keep teasing, everything went dark and blue and green lights illuminated the club as the emcee announced a stripper in a cowgirl getup, who strutted out to the pole and started to dance and take off her clothes as she did as music blared and lights flashed. The boys cheered. 

"Cousin, this is one of your best ideas yet!" Roman threw his arm around Niko and downed his vodka.

"What are his other ones?"

"Fuck you, Gerry!" Niko laughed. The waitress with huge tits saw that they had finished yet another round of vodka and brought another five glasses, smiling as the men's jaws dropped at her breasts. Again, however, it was Roman she had her eye on, as after she served them, she kissed him sexily with tongue.

"Let me know when you want your dance, Roman, baby," she smiled and sashayed away.

"Hey, fuck him! Get this boyo, he's newly single!" Packie pointed at Niko. The stripper's face lit up.

"What?? No no no!" Niko laughed and waved his hands in front of him, but cheered and raised his glass as a few other strippers came over and danced on him, touching him and caressing his body while the guys cheered once more. The strippers took him into the hazy red back room, where things got a little more intimate, with two strippers kissing and licking his cheeks and ears while a third danced on him. He wore a smirk; he felt like a god. Out of all his revenge plans, this was his best one yet. No one had to die, no one had to get hurt. He was single, drunk, women were all over him and life was a fucking party again, like Roman had talked about in his emails. 

Niko noticed the bulge in his pants, but there was another one in his pocket: his phone that he couldn't hear because of the loud music, but was going off every three minutes with Kate's text...

* * *

The night was still painfully young--if you considered 11:00 young--when the boys decided they'd had enough of "look, don't touch" and wanted to touch. So, they headed back to Liberty City in a cab, specifically, to Westminster in Algonquin where Maisonette 9 called them like a siren. Roman and Brucie had connections with Gay Tony and Luis Lopez, so when Dessie the doorman saw them, he smiled and let them right in, even though their speech was slightly slurred. As they stood at the foot of the stairs in a line, Roman threw his arms around Niko and Packie, who were staring at the scene before them in awe.

"Welcome to Maisonette 9, fellas!" Roman smiled and the gang descended the stairs.

Niko had been in America a year and still hadn't been to Maisonette 9. He liked what he saw so far; beautiful women walked around and up the stairs past them, flashing charming smiles at him. Niko in that moment decided that the girls here were no joke; they had asses that could keep his eyes on them even after they were out of sight. But he remembered Packie's words. He had to control himself and maybe not drink too much; he knew what would happen if he did: he'd forget all about Kate and fuck another girl and fuck things up even more. But the music pumping and the women and the booze in him were making it hard to say no. Niko looked over at Packie and saw that the Irishman was finding it hard to resist too. He and Gerry had already linked up with absolute dimes of women and were headed to the bar, buying drinks and kissing on them. Brucie had departed too with his usual gaggle of women. 

"Looks like it's just you and me, cousin! Though I don't know for how long..." Roman's voice trailed off as he followed a woman's shapely ass as it swayed side to side as she walked up the stairs in a tight maroon cocktail dress. But it disappeared and Roman was soon back to bros before hoes.

"Let's go get something to drink!"

They approached the bar. "Zack!" Roman called, making the bartender turn around. He was a Middle Eastern kid with a goatee and glasses and short hair. His face lit up when he saw Roman.

"Ro, wassup?" He and Roman slapped hands. Zack nodded at Niko. "Another Slav?"

"Zack, this is my cousin, Niko! The one I tell you about! He's newly single and ready to fuck every woman here!"

Niko rolled his eyes and smiled. "Nice to meet you," he and Zack shook hands.

"You too, man. What'll it be, two vodkas?"

"You got it!" 

Zack poured them their vodkas and the boys surveyed the club scene. 

"All right, cousin, here's what you do: find an empty table, drink, look nonchalant and let the ladies come to you!"

Niko raised an eyebrow at him. "Nonchalant?"

"Is French. Learned it off a French girl I fucked in the bathroom here."

Niko laughed and shook his head. "Come on, go get girls!"

They found an empty table and sat down and drank, ordering vodka after vodka. Four blonde women noticed the two Eastern European men and before long, Niko and Roman had four women, two for each boy, dancing on them as they bought more and more drinks for the four of them. 

"This is the shit I tell you about in my emails, cousin!"

Niko raised his glass and let out a yell, smiling as the girls danced on him. It had been forever since he'd had this much fun. Eventually, the girls' friends came to collect them and they had to leave, one of Roman's girls doing so reluctantly as she started a goodbye make out session.

"Why don't you come with us, baby? We can get a little kinky..." she smiled and ran a finger over Roman's lips. 

"Oh-ho yeahhhhh!" Roman smiled. Niko's girls tried to get him to come with them too, but he was just conscious enough to think of Kate and what Packie would do to him if he did. Still, the prospect of a threesome was tempting enough, so when Packie and Gerry weren't looking, he made out quickly and drunkenly with both girls and sent them on their way. He reclined against the leather fabric of the booth, smiling as Roman's other girl climbed onto him and he fed her his vodka and bought her another. 

* * *

It was around 2 a.m. when he noticed her. The girls had gone to the bar to get more drinks. His smile instantly faded when he saw her and hers did too. She was talking to another man near the dance floor against a wall, looking fine as hell as the last time he saw her in a sexy navy blue cocktail dress. Daddy's credit card had bought her some bigger breasts since the last time he saw her. As usual, Roman's voice snapped him out of his eye fucking.

"I don't get why you aren't taking those girls home, cousin. They're all over you!" 

When Niko didn't respond, Roman followed his cousin's eyes to the girl he was looking at. "Oooh...who's she?"

Niko's face soured. "My ex."

Roman looked over at him, wide-eyed.

"The trust-funder?" Niko reminded him and Roman laughed.

"_That's_ Alex Chilton? She looks like she doesn't even know what a blog is, let alone runs one!"

Both cousins kept their eyes on her.

"So she's going to be your revenge fuck?"

"You want four titties to play with?"

Roman mouthed "four?" wide-eyed and looked at the two girls that had been dancing on him. They smiled at him, causing him to wink back. He grabbed onto his cousin's shoulder.

"Fuck her."

That was just what Niko was about to do, until he sighed and shook his head. "I can't, man..."

"What?? Why not??"

"Packie."

"...What about him?"

"You heard what he said. If I cheat, it'll break Kate's heart even more!"

"Niko, in all the years I've known you, you've never been afraid of what a skinny, cokehead bald Irish guy says. Come _on, _man, you're _finally _going to get some revenge that doesn't involve killing anyone and that involves a hot rich woman and you're not going to do anything about it? You finally have the chance to get laid after a year of celibacy and you're doing _nothing_ about it??"

Niko sighed as he looked at Alex. Roman was right; he was single, he was drunk and his ex-girlfriend whose incredible, mindless sex he just realized that he missed like hell was right in front of him. Roman clapped him on the shoulder.

"Do it for the Old Country, cousin."

Niko looked at his cousin with a wtf face. "She's American!"

"Exactly! Think of how popular you'll be with the guys back in the Old Country!"

"Half of them are dead."

"My God, stop being miserable and go get pussy!" Roman was about to say something else when his girl came back and took his hand.

"Come onnn, Roman baby!"

He smiled as he got up and left with her, but turned to Niko and said, "Think about it, cousin," in a warning tone.

He left and Niko and Alex continued to eyefuck. Finally, Niko took a confident deep breath and strode over to his ex-lover.

When he reached her, she smirked. "Was wondering when you were gonna stop eyeing me like a piece of ass and walk over here."

"How are you, Alex?"

"Well..." she got close to him. "enjoying America, but..." she whispered into his ear, "Missing Europe..."

Niko said nothing, only smiled flirtatiously.

"I see you're tired of your Irish girl too," Niko was slightly taken aback, but remembered that he had told Alex that he had found Kate on the phone when he had broken up with her.

"Let us say we're...having difficulties."

"So all I am to you is a rebound?" that was something a person that was upset would say, but she was the farthest thing from upset.

"You are not mad, are you?"

Alex smirked. "I knew you'd be back. They always come back. Especially you. So make your choice, Niko: a virgin or me?" She ran a finger down his lips and whispered, "You know I still have you saved in my phone as 'Daddy'..."

And with that, she kissed him with the sexy kiss he remembered. Her lips still had that white chocolate-mixed-with-vanilla-and-cherry taste. He deepened the kiss and they started to make out with tongue. He didn't give a fuck if Packie and Gerry saw; he was single and he was going to enjoy this. Alex unbuttoned his shirt where she knew his abs were and ran her hands over them.

"You remember where my place is, right?" She asked.

"How could I forget?" she took his hand and he noticed that Packie and Gerry were gone, so he and Alex pounded back more drinks at the bar until they were nice and drunk. They stumbled out of the club, pausing to make out on the stairs, him grabbing her ass, something he remembered she loved. Turns out she still did.

The cab ride was a blur, mostly because they were drunk and mostly because their lips were glued to each other for the duration of the ride. Niko wasn't at the top of the food chain in Liberty City, but with the amount of women he was getting tonight and now that he was about to sleep with his ex, he felt like a king. 

The cab stopped in front of Alex's apartment after what felt like a lifetime, but really was only a five minute ride. She grabbed his hand and they rushed inside, kissing all the way up the stairwell, stopping at certain points to make out and fondle each other against the wall, him reaching up her dress. They finally reached her apartment and busted through the front door. Clothes hit the floor as they made their way to her bedroom, taking a pit stop in the hallway leading to the bedroom so he could fuck her against the wall, her screams fucking music in his ears. Her legs wrapped around his waist. Alcohol was pounding in Niko's brain, but he still felt an insane amount of pleasure. That Irish bitch had deprived him of sex for a year. He almost couldn't believe he was willing to wait for her when Alex was right there waiting to be his little fucktoy. 

She came in the hallway, but she wanted more and Niko wasn't done yet. They kissed all the way into her bedroom, covered in pink and lit by neon signs of pink lips and fell on the bed where he plunged inside her once more. 

Out in the living room, her moans and bed creaks echoed, but so did a small noise from Niko's pants pocket. Kate's text notification came on again, the timestamp now sporting a 3h...

* * *

Meanwhile, the two women had Roman tied to a chair in an apartment in Suffolk. They had forcefully stripped him of his clothes, so now, he was only clad in his boxers. One of the girls came out in a dominatrix outfit wielding a whip, smiling evilly at Roman, making his jaw drop.

"Uhh...you know, I've never done this before," he chuckled nervously, but that earned him a crack of the whip on his stomach where abs were starting to form.

"OW!" he panted as the other woman came out in the same outfit stroking her whip.

"You're gonna enjoy this, you dirty boy..."

"Hey, wait a minute...are you two twins?" Roman began to cackle excitedly, which earned him another crack of the whip. His stomach now had two deep red bleeding gashes on it.

"AHHHHHHHH!!!" he gritted his teeth, beginning to sweat. The first woman bent over him.

"Don't think we don't know that the word 'slave' comes from Slav. You were born for this. So do you want another, Slave?"

"Uhhhhh....well..." After another crack, his tune changed. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH YES!!! YES!!!!"

"YES MISTRESS, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?"

"YES MISTRESS, MAY I HAVE ANOTHER?" They whipped him again and the veins in his neck throbbed as he sweat and gritted his teeth.

* * *

It was now 4 a.m. and sleep just did not want to come to Kate at all. It was times like these when she wished she smoked; she could go outside and light up and think. But unfortunately, she was forced to think without getting cancer. She lay awake staring at the dresser that her bed was right in front of. She didn't wish Niko was in bed with her. She didn't want anything. She just felt numbness and sleep deprivation. She sat up and sighed and looked around her room. Most of the stuff in here was still from her childhood; her collection of stuffed animals, the pictures of her when she was a little girl. The only things from her adult life were her makeup vanity, the pictures of Niko that were mostly on the floor now, her desk and her laptop and her white board to do list that hung on her wall.

Kate sighed and went over to her laptop and booted it up. Whenever she couldn't sleep at night, she went on Blog Snobs. There was always something juicy on there to read, especially on the Liberated Woman blog. Kate didn't necessarily want to be like Alex Chilton, but her exploits were fun to read as someone who longed for a breakup of the monotonous routine of life. 

Kate's laptop finally came to life and she went on Eyefind and typed in Alex's blog URL and nearly broke her monitor. There, on the first entry on the front page, was a picture of Alex and Niko, naked and in bed, smiling at the camera, captioned with _"Guess which Mysterious European was at Maisonette 9 tonight? ;)"_

Kate jumped out of her chair, covering her face with her hands, feeling dizzy. She wanted to scream, but didn't want to wake her mother up. Instead, she ripped off the rest of the pictures of her and Niko, leaving her bulletin board bare. She scooped up the ones that were already on the floor and started tossing them one by one into the trash can.

"They're all going in the trash because that's what you are, you immigrant shit," she said in a pained voice--as if she were trying to stay strong and not cry--as she tossed them out.

Once they were all gone, her moment of feminist confidence evaporated and she fell on her knees, her face buried in her comforter, as heavy tears fell once more.


	7. Roman Becomes a Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soooo...heh...funny thing I realized at dinner the other night. In chapter 5, Niko's driving an Infernus. Of course, my stupid ass says that he and Kate are waiting for his Buccaneer later in the chapter. I went back and fixed.
> 
> Small Easter egg in this chapter: the picture of Roman and Mallorie that Roman has on his desktop is the picture found in the Broker apartment in the game. :)
> 
> Spanish:
> 
> Mi hija = my daughter
> 
> Saber su valor. Eres hermosa = Know your worth. You are beautiful
> 
> Mallorca (Puerto Rican breakfast): an eggy and sweet bread topped with powdered sugar that is often served as an egg, ham and cheese sandwich.
> 
> Flying Deuces, the Laurel & Hardy movie that Roman references: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jDUqimcGt0
> 
> Last note: I didn't include strippers' names from the Triangle Club because the GTA wiki only listed the names of strippers from Honkers. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯
> 
> LAST LAST NOTE: IT'S ROMAN ADORKABLENESS TIME <333

Niko woke up feeling like shit and with no recollection of the night before. All he remembered was flashing lights, hanging out with Roman and the guys and getting shitfaced. Lying on his stomach, he smiled and closed his eyes when he felt how soft the sheets he was lying on were on his sore, hungover body and snuggled closer into the pillow, but he opened one eye and saw that the sheets and pillow were white and not his red sheets that were currently on his bed at his and Roman's apartment.

He awoke with a start, sat up and wearily took in his surroundings. He had no clue where he was, but the pink bedroom adorned with neon signs that were shut off now looked vaguely familiar to him. It was then that he felt another body in the bed next to him. Kate? It couldn't be her, this wasn't her room. He slowly turned his head to look at who he had went to bed with and his eyes widened when he saw the peaceful, sleeping face of Alex Chilton.

"Shit..." he mouthed. His head fell back on the pillow and it must have woken Alex up because she opened her eyes and tiredly smiled at him. It was a smile that caught Niko off guard; they used to fuck and then he'd leave in the middle of the night. They never used to be loving at all with each other; their relationship was strictly fucking. But her smile to him now was sweet and tender as if they were in a relationship.

"Good morning..."

"Hi." She leaned over and kissed him softly. Niko knew he should've been getting up and getting out of there, but her kiss was soft and lazy and tasted so sweet. Like Kate's kisses. Alex giggled.

"You never used to stay till the morning with me..."

"I should go, though..." He slinked out of the bed and looked for his clothes on the floor, but instead saw them all the way out in the living room and sighed.

"But...Niko, we had so much fun last night...don't you miss that?"

Niko chose his words carefully. "Look, Alex, I really don't remember anything that happened last night and even if I did, we've been over for a year. I..." he shook his head. "last night was fun, but--" He was interrupted by his phone going off with a text again. "I kept hearing something going off all night..."

Niko went into the living room to get dressed, leaving Alex in her bed to sigh. He put on his shirt, not buttoning it just yet, and put on his pants and had just pulled them on when the alert went off again. He rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"I'm coming, what?" he pulled out his phone and his eyes widened as he read Kate's text with the timestamp now reading 19h. He'd never panicked this much in his life. His heart thudded in his chest. He fucked up. And he fucked up badly. Had Alex not been there, he would've broke down and cried. Once again, his thirst for revenge had come back to hurt a person he loved. They kept hurting Roman last year. Some hurt Kate too. But this one was going to kill her and probably already did. Literally. Niko knew he had to get to the McReary's and fast. Running back into the bedroom, he quickly kissed Alex and left.

* * *

He was grateful he was in a cab so he could blow Kate's phone up, not that he had any fears about using his phone and driving. With the amount of shit he'd been through in life, he knew texting or calling and driving wouldn't even come close to killing him. Try as he might, Kate's phone kept going to voicemail. He knew she was still alive because he didn't hear the ring go all the way through, which meant she was ending his calls prematurely. He didn't like leaving voicemails, so he just kept calling and calling and calling. His heart shattered into more pieces with every time she canceled his call. He wondered if he should start going to church again; his mother always said that God had a way to fix things. If only He could fix his and Kate's relationship, somehow, some way. If he prayed, maybe the man upstairs would do something. It always seemed to work for Kate and his mother. Even Roman in his sinful, lustful life was still a praying man at heart.

Finally, the cab pulled onto Savannah Avenue. Niko told the cab driver to just let him out at the first house; he couldn't wait any longer and he'd always been a good runner anyway. He ran all the way down the hill to the McReary's and charged up the steps and banged on the front door. Roman would probably compare it to Marlon Brando shouting "STELLAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!" in _A Streetcar Named Desire._

"KATE! KATE!" No answer. He banged as hard as he could on the tall windows next to the door without breaking the glass.

"KATE! KAAAAATE!!!!!" He yelled and knocked, but there was still no answer. Feeling hopeless, he leaned against the window and sank to the ground. It was only then that he realized that he'd been thinking about God the entire ride over, but it hadn't registered with him that it was Sunday morning and the McRearys would be at church. He trudged down the stairs with his tail between his legs and took a cab back to his Northwood apartment.

He lay in his bed staring at the ceiling the rest of the day, half trying to think of a way to get her back, half lying there in misery.

* * *

Kate had always found her job boring, but now that she was single, it was especially as drab. And twice as annoying now that she had her coworkers trying to hook her up with men. A few of the more xenophobic ones congratulated her for "dumping that fresh-off-the-boat shit." She just brushed past them. She hated that she did; she'd said literally the exact same thing on Saturday night, so why didn't she like it when someone else said it?

On Monday morning, Kate was bored filling out an Excel spreadsheet of meeting minutes when the sliding glass doors of the community center opened. She put on her best smile and got ready to greet the visitor.

"Hi! How can I help y--" she looked up to see who the visitor was and her smile faded into a look of disgust as Niko confidently strode up to her.

"What do you want?" It took everything she had to sound rude and not to fling herself into his arms. Niko was taken aback by the tone in her voice. She knew. Great.

"I need to talk to you."

Before Kate could say anything, the FedEx man came in with his usual cart full of packages. He waited behind Niko until Kate addressed him.

"Hey Jeff!"

"Hey Kate!" he stepped up to the front desk. Niko moved off to the side and stood there awkwardly, waiting for the exchange to be over.

"The usual?"

"Yep, sign here." Kate signed for the packages.

"Have a good one, Kate!"

"Thanks, you too!" Kate smiled, but her smile soon faded as Niko stepped back in front of her. She tried to distract herself with going through the packages. When she realized he wasn't going anywhere, she looked at him, keeping her voice matter-of-fact.

"I don't think we have anything to talk about, Niko," she said, dropping a package into the "sorted" bin.

"Yes we do!" He tried to stay innocent. "what did I do?"

Kate feigned a thinking expression. "Gee, Niko, I don't know. Let's see: you killed my brother, you cheated on me with Alex Chilton--"

"Whoa, wait a minute! _ You _ broke up with me! And I don't know an Alex Chilton!"

"You mean you've never heard of her and her Liberated Woman blog?"

Niko just stared at her, mouth agape. There was no weaseling out of that one. "...You read that?"

"Yeah, exactly. Look, Niko, I'm at work right now, so if you want to talk about this, you can come to the house later, and yes, my brothers--and my mother--will be there."

"Why can't you and I talk, just us?"

"I thought that's what you said we were doing right now?"

Niko rolled his eyes. "Privately. Meet me at Bean Machine when we're on lunch break?"

"No, Niko. You've hurt me too much. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go take minutes." And she left, going into one of the back rooms, leaving Niko looking after her.

"But...you love Bean Machine..."

* * *

Back in Middle Park East, Roman stood in the bathroom poking the giant gashes of dried blood on his stomach, then grimacing and sucking in his breath when they hurt. After the "sex," he'd snuck out and gone to the hospital and gotten some stitches, but the blood was still dry and they still hurt. He couldn't believe it. He lost all this weight and got a brand new body only to have two dominants destroy it. How could he be so stupid? A threesome hadn't sucked this much in a long time, if ever. The sex was good, but what led up to it was brutal. At least his hangover wasn't too bad. He'd also never bowed that much before in his life.

Roman sighed and brushed his teeth, trying to keep out the memory of how Mallorie would always wrap her arms around his body when she woke up the morning after and spied him in the bathroom. He wasn't sure if he could say "this life" since it had only been a couple of months since he and Mallorie had broken up, but the single womanizer lifestyle didn't have the same appeal as it did when he was younger. Mallorie was right; he had to sack up and grow up, or, as Kate put it, put up or shut up.

Roman spit out the toothpaste and walked into his room still in his boxers, scratching his chest and yawning, putting his wet toothbrush back in his mouth after his yawn subsided. He pulled on a gray Liberty City Rampage t-shirt and stared at his messy black hair in the dark monitor of his desktop before waking it up (Roman was extremely paranoid about malfunctioning technology, so he always left his computer on), resting his head in his hand. He didn't look like himself and he didn't know if it was from being slightly hungover or from the events of last night and the past two months settling in. His black hair, usually fine and combed and parted, was messy, half spiky and half disheveled. He had bags under his eyes. He looked like he was on drugs when he knew very well he wasn't.

Sighing again, Roman nonchalantly pressed a key and woke up his computer. He groaned when he was greeted with his desktop background: the picture of him and Mallorie in the jacuzzi at the Majestic. He rubbed his eyes. He always told Niko that his killing had to stop, but here he was fucking anything that moved to forget about his ex-girlfriend.

A bottle of vodka was on his desk. Taking a little swig, he went over to his nightstand and picked up his phone, sighing when there was nothing from Mallorie and about 10 texts from Brucie in all caps, of course, with a bunch of exclamation points. He reclined on his bed and stared down at his phone, thinking about if he should text Mallorie or not. They hadn't spoken in so long...would she be receptive? Or would she shoot him down? Sighing but determined, he clicked on her name and opened a new text message. Choosing his words carefully, wanting to stay charming and sympathetic at the same time, he started texting.

_ "Hi beautiful. Been a while. Can we talk? Meet @ Bean Machine in Dukes?" _

* * *

In South Bohan, Mallorie ate breakfast quietly with her mother at her childhood apartment when her phone went off. She internally sighed when she saw it was from Roman. She quickly texted back and put her phone back down face down quickly. But her mother noticed. She noticed everything.

"Who was that, _ mi hija _?"

"No one, Mama."

Her mother knew she was lying. She always did.

"Mallorie, that boy is no good for you."

"I know, Mama." _ But you miss him, you idiota. _

"I don't want you talking to him."

"Okay, Mama! Okay?" Mallorie raised her voice to her and immediately regretted it. Disrespecting elders was a big no-no in Puerto Rican culture. "Sorry, Mama..." She looked down at her Mallorca. Her mother's face grew tender and she placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Mallorie, I want you to be happy. You deserve better than him. _ Saber su valor. Eres hermosa, mi amor." _The older woman kissed her daughter's head and left.

* * *

Roman stared at the one word Mallorie had texted him: "no." He felt as if his eyes were hollow and looking into a void. He thought she missed him; her body language when they were at work together told him that. Her expressions were always sad and she always looked like she wanted to say something to him, but couldn't. So why wouldn't she talk to him? Roman thought about calling her, but felt that was too much like a stalker and put his phone down and stared at the ceiling. He heard the apartment door open and close, signifying Niko's return. He didn't hear him ask if he was home like he always did; his cousin probably figured that he was still in Suffolk; Niko knew Roman had been prone to staying with women he cheated with for days at a time.

Roman got back up and headed over to his computer and started checking his emails, but he cleared everything in his inbox in half a minute. Groaning slightly, he sat back in his chair and looked at one of his erector sets.

"What do I do, inner voice?"

He pressed the button he'd made on the contraption and watched as the silver ball rolled down the metal slides and into the buckets. The buckets carried the ball to slide after slide before it finally reached the little ski jump at the bottom. The ball went flying, Roman's perplexed eyes following it, into a cardboard box in the corner of the room.

"Hey, that wasn't supposed to happen!" Roman got up and went over to the box and pulled out the ball and was about to turn around and put it back in its starting position when he noticed the contents of the box. He peered inside and moved his old pulp magazines from the 50s and found all of his Playboys and other nudie mags that Niko was looking at the other day. He reached in and grabbed a stack and raised his eyebrows at the ball.

"You trying to tell me something?" he asked it. He got out the rest of the magazines and found a small black book at the bottom of the box. He smiled, putting the ball down.

"Hello, old friend." He picked the book out of the box and smiled down at the ball.

"You sly devil, you!"

Roman smiled as he flipped through the book that contained the numbers of various women. He'd slept with all of them, of course. But his smile soon faded. He'd just texted Mallorie a few minutes ago and was still thinking about her, so what was the ball trying to tell him? Roman looked around and found his old magic eight ball on the floor. He picked it up.

"Will I get Mallorie back?" He shook it and peered at the glass with one eye open. The glowing blue letters said_ "Yes." _

Roman's heart raced in his chest. Biting his lip, he asked "How?" and shook it again.

_ "Burn the magazines." _

Roman peered closer, not sure if he was reading it correctly. "What?? Are you sure?" He shook it.

_ "Yes." _

"You're broken. Uh...what color is the sky?" Shake.

_ "Blue." _

Roman pointed at it. "A-HA! That's where you're wrong! It is actually PURPLE! The cones and rods in our eyes just _ perceive _ it as blue!" He shook it again.

_ "You're not wrong." _

"Screw you!" He tossed it aside, where it hit the foot of his desk. "Useless junk..."

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw that the eight ball was displaying more blue letters. Roman turned his head slowly, curiously.

_ "Your loss." _

Roman raised an eyebrow and nodded. "My loss, eh? Well, screw you again, pal!"' With a determined look on his face, he dropped the book and the magazines back in the box and carried it out of his room.

"Niko! Niko!" Roman walked quickly to the other end of the huge apartment and into Niko's room. Compared to Roman's room, Niko's room was boring. Not much of anything was on the drab blue walls, save for a Serbian national team and Swingers pennant. While not as messy as Roman's room, clothes were still on the floor and hanging out of his dresser, on top of which stood his TV that Niko was playing _ Righteous Slaughter 3 _on currently. 

"Niko!! I figured out how to get Mallorie back!" Roman ran into his cousin's room and dropped the box on him.

"Really? How--OWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhh, Roman, that was right on my balls, you asshole!!" He pushed the box off of him and looked at the TV. "Aww, you made me lose!" He got curious and looked inside the box. "What's in here, anyway?"

"All my porn mags."

Niko looked at him. "You're giving me your Playboys?"

"No, cousin! This is my plan to get Mallorie back! We have to go burn them!"

"You don't have to be that extreme, Roman..."

"Niko, listen." Roman started pacing back and forth. "remember when we watched _ Flying Deuces _ in the Old Country and Stan and Ollie joined the Legion so Ollie could forget about Georgette? That is what I have to do! I have to forget all the other women and focus on Mallorie!"

Niko raised an eyebrow and looked at his cousin, amused. Roman and his movie references never got old. "What is making you change now?"

Roman sighed and pulled off his shirt to reveal the gashes. Niko's eyes widened and his face turned angry. "Who the fuck did that to you??"

"Niko, don't get mad, is no one bad. Just those girls I was with Saturday night...they...they were _crazy..._"

Niko's face lightened up and he started to laugh. Roman looked at him appalled.

"It's not funny, Niko!"

Niko laughed hard now, clapping a hand on Roman's shoulder. "Those American girls, eh, cousin?"

"Niko, this is serious! I have had enough and I want Mallorie back!"

Niko stopped laughing and nodded, determined. "All right. But we burn them at a place that will challenge you to forget."

"How do you mean?"

Niko smiled craftily. "You have two options."

Roman caught on immediately. Smiling determined, he made his choice. "The Triangle."

* * *

Armed with the box of Roman's nudie mags and black book and matches, the cousins set out for Bohan. They rode in silence, Roman focusing on the task at hand and mentally preparing himself for what he had to do and Niko silently praying that this would be enough to get Roman and Mallorie back together.

* * *

Traffic was a bitch, but they finally made it to Northern Gardens. Niko pulled into the Triangle Club parking lot--surprisingly empty for 2:00 in the afternoon--and parked in the usual space they always parked in: the last space by the entrance. Both cousins got out and walked to the center of the parking lot, Roman carrying his box, both of them suddenly nervous.

"All right, well...we can't just set the parking lot on fire," Niko looked around. "Ah! Here we go!" He found an empty green barrel that the homeless used to light fires in to keep warm and carried it back to where Roman was standing. Taking a match, he struck the matchbox several times until a flame ignited. He dropped it in the barrel and the ash in it immediately burst into flames.

"All right, what's first?"

Roman took a deep breath and pulled out all the Playboys. "I guess...all of these..."

"Drop em in!"

Roman ripped out one of the pages--a full-page spread of a voluptuous naked blonde woman--and took a sad deep breath. 

"I'm going to miss you, beautiful..." He tossed it into the fire. The flames quickly engulfed the woman's seductive face as the page turned to ashes. 

The boys burned a few more pages and then Niko pulled out Roman's kryptonite: the December 1953 issue of Playboy with Marilyn Monroe on the cover. Niko held it up in front of him with a "you know what we're doing with this" face. Roman's mouth opened and he shook his head.

"Okay, now that's a vintage collectible! We cannot burn that!"

"Roman..."

"At least let me keep the centerfold!"

"Do you want Mallorie back or not?"

Roman sighed deeply and motioned to Niko to throw it into the fire, which he did. Niko looked back into the now-empty-except-for-one-item box and pulled out Roman's black book.

"Aaaand last, but certainly not least..." Niko held up the book, causing Roman to suck in his breath. Niko opened the book and began to read. "Oh, look, it's names, phone numbers and addresses of every stripper from both the Triangle and Honkers!" He started to rip out the pages, keeping his eyes on Roman, secretly enjoying how much torture he was causing his cousin. But with each leaf of paper tossed into the flames, Roman;s face turned less pained and more confident. Niko smiled. It was working.

The boys started to make a game of it. Roman even helped throw the pages into the fire and chased Niko around the parking lot as he tried to keep a page away from him, eventually catching up to him and burning the page as the bouncer by the club entrance stared at them, judging the hell out of these two weirdos.

Eventually, they burned all the pages except for one more: the page with all the strippers from Honkers on it. Niko tore it out and eyed it.

"Hmmm...Candy, Susie, Cherry, Sindy, Bambi...and there's a star by Susie's name. That means she's your faaaavoriteeeeee!" he waved the paper in front of Roman, teasing him and making him laugh.

"Come on, man, just burn it!"

"You sure? This is it, now. After this, your old life is gone."

Roman thought for a while, but nodded with a serious look on his face. "I am sure."

"Well...in it goes..." Niko gently tossed it in and the two men watched as the flames ate it, the top of the barrel now covered in a small mountain of ashes from everything they had burned. They turned to look at the strip club in silence, with its flashing neon pink sign depicting a woman's nether regions and neon pictures of nude girls on the windows.

"Well, cousin?" Niko kept his eyes straight ahead, but looked at Roman. "How do you feel?"

Niko observed his cousin as he looked at the club as if he were an alien seeing a strip club for the first time. "I feel...older. But I also feel fresh. And new. I feel like a new person..." His voice was quiet as if he were talking to himself.

"Do you want to go in?"

Roman's face grew even more confused, but it was the good confused, the kind of confused that let Niko know that his cousin was feeling a sensation that he;d never felt before.

"...No..."

Niko raised his eyebrows at him. "No...?"

"No...I...I don't want to go in..." Roman looked down and his face turned from one of unfamiliarity to one of happiness as his eyes lit up. "Niko, I don't want to go in! I don't want to go in!" Roman shouted at the bouncer. "DO YOU HEAR ME, MOTHERFUCKER? I DON'T WANT TO GO IN! I'M GOING TO GET MY GIRL BACK!!" 

"Yeah okay, buddy. Go celebrate your celibacy somewhere else before I call the cops," the bouncer rolled his eyes. Roman ignored him and started to run around the parking lot, arms outstretched like a bird, whooping and hollering.

"I'M CURED! I'M CURED! I'M COMPLETELY CURED!" Roman ran back to Niko and jumped on top of him and hugged him, sending Niko to the ground, but quickly got off of him as his cousin sat up and watched. Niko hadn't smiled this widely in years, but watching Roman celebrate made him immensely happy and proud of his cousin.

The overcast sky above gave way to heavy rain, but Roman didn't give a fuck, even though he was immediately drenched. He'd cut out every other woman in his life. Now, it was time to get Mallorie back. His job wasn't done yet, but for now, he could celebrate.

Niko quickly became all wet too, but he could care less; watching Roman celebrate took away the pain of losing Kate, if only for a few hours. Roman ran his hands through his wet hair, now in bangs on his forehead and shouted at the sky as if it were the first rainfall that Liberty City had seen in years. It was the loudest he'd ever shouted in his life.

"WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO-HOO-HOO-HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Roman ran to Niko and jumped on him again, but this time, the younger Bellic was ready, catching him and spinning him around. Carrying Roman on his back, Niko ran around the parking lot as Roman continued whooping and hollering.


	8. Where the Night Takes Us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roman and Mallorie’s date date! :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: serious, SERIOUS steam ahead. ;)
> 
> Serbian:
> 
> Pozdrav, mogu li dostaviti jedanaest žutih tratinčica Express Car Service ma Iroquois? I mogu li ih dostaviti što pre? I želim da ih pomenem...Hvala. = Hello, can I please have eleven yellow daisies delivered to Express Car Service on Iroquois? And can they be delivered as soon as possible? I want a note on them as well...Thank you.
> 
> Tako si lepa = you are so beautiful
> 
> Spanish:
> 
> Cabrones = scumbags
> 
> Querido = darling
> 
> Como estas? = How are you?
> 
> Roman singing The Sound of Silence and him and Mallorie running out of her mother's apartment is a reference to this scene from The Graduate (starts at about 2:39): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ahFARm2j38c. My headcanon for Roman is that he's a fan of vintage things/Old Hollywood. :)
> 
> You can also listen to the episode of The Clock that Roman and Mallorie listen to in the car here: https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com/thriller/clock-the/the-clock-47-01-19-12-the-return-of-the-vanished-wife
> 
> Music used in this chapter:
> 
> It Was a Lover and His Lass - Maxine Sullivan https://youtu.be/HyQhw22PPaQ you night recognize it from LA Noire. ;)

“Wait...cousin, remind me what the plan is again?”

Niko rolled his eyes. "Roman, for the billionth time: we go to work and you ask Mallorie on a date."

Roman stared at his cousin as they made their way over the Broker Bridge once more on Thursday morning. It was now mid-September. Roman and Mallorie had been broken up for two months, while Niko and Kate were on their fourth week of separation. 

"Like...a real date?"

"Yes, Roman, a real date. Not just sex. If she says yes, you're in. Is like secret code that American girls have."

Roman nodded, understanding. "Ohhhhh, the code." He winked and Niko nodded approvingly. Roman looked back down to think and got confused again. "But...where do I take her?"

"I don't know, you've taken her to dinner before. Take her to Drusilla's."

"Pizza This... is better," Roman mumbled. Niko heard him. He heard everything. Roman figured it was the war and having to hear orders and explosions that made his hearing so good.

"I agree, but Pizza This... has takeout."

Roman looked at him, confused. "So?"

"So you cannot take a girl to a place that does takeout! That's not classy!"

"You've taken Kate to Mr. Fuk's and they do takeout.”

"Yeah but Mr. Fuk's is _ classy _ takeout."

Roman looked straight ahead of him, lost. "Cousin, I didn't teach you any of this."

"You didn't. Is something I picked up in my dating escapades here. Women don't like takeout."

Roman snorted and raised an eyebrow. "Your 'dating escapades' like Alex, Carmen, that stalker chick, Michelle..."

"Karen."

"Who gives a fuck, she was a fed!"

"Fair point."

"Say, whatever happened to her?"

"I don't know. Probably fedding it up somewhere."

Roman chuckled and shook his head. 

"'Fedding it up?' You've become too Americanized, cousin."

Eventually, the guys made it to Hove Beach. Just as Niko was about to turn onto Iroquois, Roman's eyes widened as he realized something and stopped him.

"Daisies...she loves daisies...wait, don't go in just yet! Drive around for a bit. I got an idea." He pulled out his phone and dialed. When the other end picked up, he said in Serbian, _ “Pozdrav, mogu li dostaviti jedanaest žutih tratinčica Express Car Service na Iroquois? I mogu li ih dostaviti što pre? I želim da ih pomenem… _ ” He read what he wanted the note to say in English, then thanked the shop owner. _ "Hvala vam." _

Niko smiled and nodded approvingly. He was ordering flowers. Roman was finally getting it. 

* * *

Around lunchtime, Mallorie picked up Kate from the community center and the girls went to Cluckin' Bell, then back to the depot to eat. They were talking and laughing as they walked through the garage into the office, but went silent and slack-jawed when they saw the clear vase filled with yellow daisies sitting on the desk in front of Mallorie's usual chair. Bernie sat on the couch opposite the desk playing on his phone.

"Hey Mal, those came for you a few minutes ago," he pointed to the daisies with his phone and went back to playing on it. Mallorie smiled and walked over to them and read the note that was attached to one of the green stems.

"'A daisy for every year we've been together. Love, Roman.' Awwwwwww!" She ran her fingers through all 11 daisies and sniffed them. "He remembered I love yellow daisies..."

"Now _ that _ is cute," Kate came up next to her and leaned on the desk and sighed sadly. Mallorie noticed and rolled her eyes, throwing back her head.

"He was just doin' what he was told to do, Kate, you know how Niko is."

"Mal, he killed my brother!"

Bernie looked up. "Wait, what?"

"Nothing, Bernie," both girls said.

"Listen, Kate, Roman and I see how in love you and Niko are with each other. I get he killed Derrick and cheated on you and normally, I'd say he can go fuck himself because of the cheating alone, but...Niko deserves love. And you deserve love. I've seen what you two bring out in each other. I know you love him, Kate. I have no idea why because of what he's done to you, but I know you do."

Kate sighed and thought. Mallorie was right. But before she could say anything, Niko and Roman walked in and greeted Bernie. Kate and Niko locked eyes for the first time in four weeks. Kate was dying to say something to him, but couldn't find the words and instead gathered her purse as Mallorie took her seat behind the desk.

"I gotta get back to the community center. Bye, Mallorie. Bye, Bernie." She brushed past Niko and Roman, saying hi to Roman only, who raised a hand in greeting. She left and Niko and Roman raised their eyebrows at each other. Niko fist-bumped Bernie and sat next to him on the couch, while Roman looked at Mallorie, who had begun to do her usual paperwork, and took a deep breath, making his way around the desk to his chair at the computer next to Mallorie.

"See you got the flowers," he said, sitting down, causing her to look up at him.

"Oh! Yeah, I like them! Thank you!" Roman's heart caught in his throat upon seeing her genuine smile at him. All he could do was nod in response and smile back.

An awkward silence followed between them. Roman looked at Niko and Bernie, who both made "ask her out!" gestures with their faces and hands. Roman looked at Mallorie and cleared his throat.

"Uh...Mallorie...uh...do you, um...would you...like to...go on a date?"

Mallorie looked at him, half in shock that he was speaking to her and half in shock that he finally asked her out. "Oh...Roman...I...I'd love to, but...Mama set me up on a date with a guy I knew as a kid in Bohan..."

Roman's face went pale as he looked at his keyboard crestfallen. Niko and Bernie looked stunned. A look came upon Mallorie's face that meant she was getting an idea. 

"...But I could try to get out of it!"

Roman looked at her, excited at first, but ended up shaking his head. "No, you don't have to do that..."

Mallorie internally raised her eyebrows. No begging and pleading? No whining? This was a different Roman sitting in front of her. She smiled without showing any teeth and Roman's heart caught in his throat again.

"Come pick me up at 7." And she got up and went out the back door into the garage. Roman sat there in stunned silence and then turned to the guys and shrugged. Niko and Bernie stood up excitedly and came over to him.

"You're in, man!" Niko clapped his cousin on the shoulder. 

"Yeah! It's a good thing you weren't persistent or else that would constitute a hostile work environment."

"Bernie, FUCK..." Niko closed his eyes and shook his head. "I mean you aren't wrong, but still...shit, man...bad timing..."

"You know I only showed you those those videos just because I was legally required to by the state, right, Bern?" 

"Surprised Liberty is smart enough to require them..." Niko mused softly.

"Fair point..."

* * *

At the Bohan apartment after work, Roman stressed out getting ready. Niko made sure his cousin was well equipped. Immediately after work, he'd taken Roman to Perseus and bought him a sharp new suit, a shirt and a new tie. Roman never wore ties and Niko figured this occasion was as good as any to start. Now, Roman looked in the mirror in the bathroom, adjusting the navy blue-with-small-gold-circles patterned tie that rested against his tan shirt and adjusted his black sport jacket nervously, taking a deep breath. 

"Okay, I have the suit, the haircut..." he felt the sides of his head, the hair now thinner and almost shaved off after Niko had taken him for a haircut that afternoon. "The flowers..." he looked around. "I'll...get more flowers. Cologne..." he drenched himself in cologne and gelled up his hair even more so it spiked. Niko watched from the kitchen, drinking out of a milk carton. He chuckled as he came over to his cousin.

"Roman, you are going to be fine! Relax!"

"I cannot relax, Niko! I haven't taken Mallorie out on a real date in forever, let alone gone on a date at all! What...what do I say?"

"Well, she's going to ask you if you love her..."

"And I say yes, I know to say yes, but...what if this other man shows up? What do I say to him?"

"Well...don't do what I would do."

Roman knew what Niko would do, but decided to ask anyway. "What would you do?"

Niko smiled proudly. "I will show you." He went into the living room, Roman following him curiously, and reached under the bed and pulled out his assault rifle and cocked it, smiling. Roman flinched and jumped backward.

"You keep that here???" He hissed.

"I keep one at all the apartments," Niko said innocently and took another swig of milk.

"Put that thing away!"

Niko shrugged and slid the assault rifle back under the bed. The boys went back into the bathroom, Roman continuing to mess with his appearance while Niko watched him through the mirror, shaking his head.

"Roman, I do not understand why you put so much effort into this. You've been on dates with Mallorie before. She knows what to expect from you. Why don't you just do what you always do?"

"Because, Niko, like I have told you before, it doesn't matter how long you've been seeing a woman. You need to have the BEST! The best clothes, the best hair, the best jewelry, the best car--"

"So you're picking her up in an Esperanto?"

Roman smiled sarcastically. "Well unlike you, Niko, Florian doesn't like me enough to give me a fucking Infernus."

Niko conceded and moved on. "Just...be yourself, okay?"

Roman raised his eyebrows at him and Niko conceded again.

"Well...an improved version of yourself. Roman, you'll be fine. Go get your girl back!"

"Speaking of which, what are you going to do about Katie?"

Niko took a deep breath. "I don't have a choice. I have to go over there and face her and her family." 

"Will they all be there tonight?"

"She said they would be."

Roman let out a low whistle and did a last comb-through of his hair. "Flowers, cousin. Flowers, flowers, flowers, that's what I keep telling you! Number one way to a woman's heart. You saw how Mallorie's heart melted when she saw those daisies today!"

"So what, are you gonna buy her more daisies? Great. She'll be yellower than fucking butter."

Roman chuckled and shrugged. "You can't spell romance without Roman, cousin!" He turned back to the mirror and finished primping. "Okay...I think I am ready. Wish me luck, cousin."

"I might need more luck than you, man."

"Hey, relax! They're Irish! They're probably drunk already! See you later, cousin."

Roman left, leaving Niko to look at the ground.

"They're never drunk when they want to kill me..."

* * *

Roman drove the couple of blocks over to Mallorie's mother's apartment, questions plaguing his mind. Mallorie had told him about the Puerto Rican custom of parents finding a suitable bachelor for what they deemed an "old maid" who had broken her engagement with a man. Had he waited too long, as usual? Would this other man be there? What would Mallorie's mother say when he showed up on her doorstep? Would Mallorie be receptive? What would she say? The thought of going to bed with her hadn't even crossed his mind. Truth be told, he was just planning to drop her off at home, _ maybe _ kiss her, and then leave like in all the old movies he watched. 

Roman was so deep in thought that it wasn't until he pulled up to the dingy apartment and started to get out of the Esperanto that he realized that he had forgotten flowers. Swearing in Serbian, he got back in the car and drove to the flower shop.

"How did I forget the fucking flowers? I always remember the fucking flowers!"

* * *

Mallorie sat at her vanity applying blush and lipstick. She was excited for her date with Roman, but also dreading the conflict that would arise with her mother when she told her that she was going out with Roman and not Pedro. Sure, Pedro was nice and handsome and they'd known each other since they were kids, but Roman was the love of her life. He was the one that had always been there for her through her happy and sad moments and whenever her mother got on her nerves. He'd given her a job. He'd given her a chance at getting out of Bohan, out of her mess of a family. 

She'd never forget the day that they'd confessed their love for each other. It was 2000. They'd known each other and been working together for two years. She'd known he'd had a crush on her for a while and if she was being honest with herself, she had had a crush on him for just as long. She remembered it well: they were sitting at their usual spots behind the desk when he had turned to her to ask her something, but he stopped. They both looked into each other's eyes, but it was different from the way that they had looked at each other before. They didn't dare say anything to each other, seeing who would break the silence first. Roman finally did, as he was always wont to do, asking her on a date with the same teenage boy nervousness that he had earlier that day. Her heart melted; she'd been waiting for him to muster up the courage to ask her out and she happily accepted.

Mallorie looked up at the picture of her and Roman that was taped to her vanity and smiled. Roman's cheek was pressed to hers as she smiled and he had one eyebrow raised. He was probably drunk when the photo was taken, but the one eyebrow raise, in Mallorie's opinion, was Roman's sexiest look. She hoped he still made that look, but she also hoped maturity came along with it. She sighed and taking her lipstick, drew a heart around both their heads. She was hopeful that this would be the night that she and Roman became a couple again. 

Mallorie was still smiling at the picture when a knock came at her door.

"Mallorie? Are you ready, _ mi hija?" _

"Oh! Uh...yeah, Mama! Just putting on lipstick!" She quickly took the picture down and hid it.

"Okay! Pedro will be here in a few minutes!"

At the mention of Pedro's name, Mallorie looked down at the white surface of her vanity. If there were ever a time for Roman to be her knight in shining armor that he desperately wanted to be, it was now. 

Hearing silence, Mallorie's mother entered her daughter's room. "_ Hija, _ is everything all right?"

"I'm fine, Mama," she lied. But her mother knew something was up. She came over and sat on the little chair that Mallorie still had from when she was a little girl and looked at her.

"Mallorie, this will be good for you. Pedro comes from a good family. He has good job and can provide for you."

_ But I love Roman!!!! _, Mallorie wanted to scream, but she didn't dare disrespect her mother. The older Puerto Rican leaned over and kissed her daughter's head.

"You need to think about your future, Mallorie. Leave Greek in the past."

Mallorie looked up at her confused. "His name is Roman, Mama."

"Well, whatever his name is, he is _ un perro _ and my girl deserves better." She kissed her head again and left. Mallorie wanted to punch her for calling Roman a dog. She opened her vanity drawer and pulled out the picture of her and Roman and sighed.

"Oh, Roman...please come through..."

* * *

Now with flowers in tow, Roman drove back to Mallorie's mother's apartment, but upon parking, he didn't leap out of his car like he always used to for their dates. He sat in the car and rested his head against the seat. This was it, or as Packie called it, the moment of truth. He carefully rehearsed what he was going to say: step one, greet her mother. Step two, probably get yelled at by her mother. Step three, confess his love. And if he got to step four, step four was to proceed with the date.

Roman crossed himself, said the Our Father quietly in Serbian like he had so many times as a child, crossed himself again to end the prayer, took the yellow flowers and got out and made his way up to the third floor where Mallorie and her mother lived, his heart pounding the whole way up. Sooner than he wanted, he was in front of the dingy apartment door. Taking probably the biggest breath he'd ever taken, he closed his eyes tight and knocked on the door. 

Mallorie's mother was sitting with her in the kitchen when the knock came. "Oh! There he is now!" Mallorie's mother smiled, excited, and got up to answer it.

A few seconds went by with no one answering, granting Roman temporary relief. But his ease turned into fear again when the door opened and Mallorie's plump, dark-haired mother stood there. Her smile faded too, while Roman tried to put his back on.

"Hi, Mrs. Bar--"

The door slammed shut in his face. 

"--das," Roman looked around at the empty hallway awkwardly.

"Mama, don't slam the door in his face!" Mallorie walked over to the door and opened it. Roman came to attention again and felt that familiar feeling of his heart catching in his throat. All she wore was a simple spaghetti-strapped burgundy cocktail dress, but she was stunning. She wore a necklace with black teardrop gems hanging from it. Her lipstick was a dark red and she wasn't wearing her glasses. They both looked at each other in awe, drinking each other's beauty in, like two high school kids going to prom. Mallorie tried not to look stunned; usually, Roman's brain classified this outfit as revealing and he couldn't stop licking his lips and ogling her breasts, but now, he was looking at her with an air of love and admiration. That's how she was looking at him too. Roman looked strikingly handsome in his new suit and tie and haircut. The sides of his hair were almost shaved, which made him look like he was joining the Army, but she loved the look.

"Uhh...hi," Roman smiled gently.

"Hi," Mallorie said in a tiny schoolgirl voice and smiled.

"You! Out! Now!" Mallorie's mother pointed at Roman, storming over.

"Mama, be nice to him! Give us a sec, Rom." The door was closed on him much more gently this time. While he waited, a tall dark-haired Hispanic man also holding flowers walked up and was about to knock on the door when he saw Roman, who indicated the door. 

"They're fighting," he stated matter-of-factly.

The taller man, who Roman guessed was Pedro, listened to the two women talking loudly and stared down at him. "Yeah, I can tell, homie."

"Mama, why can't you let me see who I want?"

"Because he's no good for you, Mallorie! Why can't you see that??"

"Because I love him, Mama! Sure, he fucks up a lot, but...Mama, listen. Roman's treated me like a queen since the day we met. He gave me a job, Mama. He gave me a way out of here. I love Roman. There. Now you know. I know he screwed up a few months ago, but he's here and he clearly wants to make things right and to be honest, I really don't care if you don't like him."

"I AM doing that, _ mi hija! _ I just don't want you to see _ cabrones _ like this!"

Mrs. Bardas opened the door to find Roman and Pedro standing in front of her. Ignoring Roman, her face lit up and she greeted Pedro.

"Pedro, _ mi querido!! Como estas?" _ She gave him a hug and pecked both of his cheeks, welcoming him in. Roman stood on the doorstep awkwardly, holding the flowers. 

"Oh, hi, Egyptian," Mrs. Bardas waved her hand, dismissing Roman, greeting him rudely.

"Egyptian...?" Roman looked off to the side, confused, but the light bulb eventually went off. "Oh...right...Roman...Egyptian...civilizations...why didn’t I think of that?”

Mallorie's eyes darted quickly between her mother fawning over Pedro and back to Roman. The Serb observed her too. He watched his flame's face go into idea mode. His face slowly turned into a smile as she snuck towards him. The minute she grabbed his hand, he pulled her and they both ran out. Mrs. Bardas stopped fawning over Pedro and noticed that her daughter had disappeared. She and Pedro ran out into the hallway, where the older woman started yelling and threatening Roman in angry Spanish, causing other tenants to poke their heads out of their doorways, curious. Roman and Mallorie just giggled as they made their way down the stairs and out of the building. They hopped into the Esperanto and quickly drove off.

They rode in silence for a little bit, mischievous smiles on both of their faces like two kids who had just skipped school. Roman started to sing quietly.

_ "Hello, darkness, my old friend..." _

"Roman."

"Sorry." 

Mallorie smiled and shook her head. Roman and his dumb movie references. They rode in silence once more until Roman turned on the radio. He had recently discovered a new Liberty City radio station that played detective serials from the 40s and of course, he fell in love with it immediately. Right now, The Clock was on, playing The Return of the Vanished Wife. Mallorie had always found his interest in movies, radio, music and television that were released years before his time eyeroll-worthy, but now that she was on the first date with him that they had had in months, she found it kind of adorable and endearing. Whenever he excitedly explained the plot, like he was right now, she usually rolled her eyes, yawned, or feigned interest, but now, she was genuinely interested. 

"So there's this man named Adam who has not seen his wife in seven years, but his attorney, Kelvin, arranges so that his wife can be declared legally dead so that Adam can get the two million dollar inheritance, but he charges him $50,000 or he will EXPOSE him!" Mallorie giggled at his emphasizing the word "expose," but Roman watched her face. "...we can listen to something else if you want."

"No, this is fine!"

Roman chuckled. "You usually hate when I listen to these."

"Yeah, but...it's kinda cute," they smiled at each other as the lights of the Broker Bridge illuminated the inside of the Esperanto. 

"Where are we going, by the way?" she asked.

"Niko suggested Drusilla's."

Mallorie raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "You take dating advice from Niko now? What happened to 'you can't spell romance without Roman'?"

"Hey, that still applies! I just need a little extra help sometimes. Especially when I'm trying to impress a beautiful lady," he smiled his charming, genuine smile at her. Now it was time for Mallorie's heart to catch in her throat. It had been a long time since she'd seen that smile, even longer than three months.

His dark features became even more dazzling to her as the twinkling lights of Algonquin illuminated them. Mallorie had tried to be strong when they had first broken up, but she couldn't help it; he was playing his cards right and saying the right things and as a result, she was falling in love with him all over again. 

A short time later, they arrived at Drusilla's. Roman parked the Esperanto on the cobblestone street outside the restaurant. Mallorie started to get out, but Roman put a hand gently on her arm.

"Wait."

She rolled her eyes and smiled, shaking her head as he got out and walked around to the passenger side door and opened it for her. She stepped out, smiling.

"Such a gentleman," she said sarcastically, but the look on her face was a dreamy one as she looked at him. He shot her a sarcastic look and offered her his arm. She smiled and took it and they walked inside. 

"Table for two?" the host asked in a heavy Liberty City accent. 

"Yes, please," Roman smiled at him and then at Mallorie as they were both led to a table in front of the bar illuminated by a dim candle. Roman pulled out Mallorie's chair for her, which she thanked him for, and sat down himself.

"Anything to drink?" the waiter asked.

"Uh..." Roman indicated Mallorie, allowing her to make the selection.

"Oh, uh...wine, I guess! Something red?" She raised her eyebrows at Roman.

"That'll be fine, thank you," Roman nodded at the waiter, who nodded and left. Roman and Mallorie smiled at each other and looked down. A few minutes in awkward silence passed until the wine came. The waiter poured them each a glass. As he did, one set of eyes bored into the other across the table. Both of them could feel the tension rising between them. The waiter probably did too, as his glance kept shifting between the two of them.

"C...can I take your order?" he asked nervously, snapping Roman out of his reverie.

"Oh, uh..." the Serb opened his menu and read the entrees, confused. Everything was in Italian. Niko knew a little Italian thanks to his human trafficking days, but Roman didn't know a lick.

"What's an antipasto? Like the opposite of a pasta?" 

Mallorie stifled a laugh as she facepalmed and shook her head. The waiter held in a laugh too.

"No pal, it's a salad with cured meats, olives, pepperoncini, mushrooms, anchovies, artichoke hearts, cheese pickled meat and vegetables in oil or vinegar. We usually use both."

"Uh...I'll have that, thanks," Roman handed the waiter his menu.

"And I'll just have spaghetti and meatballs, thank you," Mallorie smiled and did the same. The waiter bowed and left. Mallorie smiled and shook her head.

"You're still such an idiota."

"What? I'm not Italian!"

They both giggled sheepishly and went back to silence. Roman took a sip of wine and grimaced at its sour taste.

"Is not vodka, but is not bad!"

Mallorie smiled a little and looked at him dreamily. "Roman, why does this feel like our first date?"

Roman looked into her eyes and said softly, "Because in a way, it is. At least, for me it is. I've...done a lot of thinking and soul-searching and made a lot of changes."

Mallorie raised her eyebrows. "Like what?"

“Well, Niko and I went to the Triangle Club the other day and--I didn't go in! Just hear me out!" He said as she rolled her eyes.

"That's not making a change, Roman."

"Just hear me out! I didn't finish! So we went, but we did not go in. We went to the parking lot and I burned everything."

"Burned everything? What's 'everything'?"

"All my dirty magazines, all my model posters, even my little black book."

"Gone?"

"Gone."

Mallorie sighed quietly and took a piece of bread and started buttering it up and sprayed a little oil and vinegar onto her plate. Roman watched her, his eyes moving between the bread and her face.

"Sooo...what do you have to say about that?"

Mallorie stopped buttering the bread and stared at him. "What, do you want a reward or something? You don't get a reward for doing things you're supposed to do, Roman."

"I'm not saying I want one, Mal! I know it sounds stupid, but...it was hard to let go of those!" Mallorie rolled her eyes at this. "And I haven't been gambling and I haven't...well, I've...been messing around and drinking too much, but...Mallorie, I was lost without you. And I know you have not been completely innocent either. I just saved you from going on a date with another man!"

"That wasn't my choice!"

"Just like Vlad wasn't your choice." He said it so quietly that she could barely hear him. The hurt on his face stirred up a twinge of sadness in her heart, but she kept her resolve.

"I did that to save your ass. If I hadn't slept with him, you and Niko would be dead."

Roman crossed his arms and shook his head, looking off to the side, silently fuming. "Are we ever going to come back from that, Mal?"

Mallorie thought for a little while, her eyes looking around. "Roman, I think we need to seriously talk."

Roman held up his hands. "All right, well, we're talking. I'm here. We are talking. What do you want to talk about?"

"We need to set expectations and boundaries because we've never really had those."

Roman looked at her suspiciously, but played along. "All right. What _ boundaries _ would you like to set?"

"For one, no more strip clubs."

"Already took care of that."

"No more looking at other women."

"Done. Say, what boundaries are we setting for you?"

"Well, that's up to you. What would you like me to improve on?"

Her heart melted again as Roman looked at her with genuine, twinkling brown eyes filled with love and adoration. "Well...that's the thing. You're already perfect."

Their voices, eyes and faces softened. "I am not the boy you've known for 11 years anymore, Mal, and I can prove it. Just give me one more chance."

Mallorie made a promise to herself that she wouldn't become attracted to him, but all of those feelings that she thought she had buried three months ago came stampeding to the surface. She was falling harder for him more now than when they had first met. Her lips involuntarily parted and she placed one of her beautiful hands flat on the table, to which his eyes immediately connected with.

"Mallorie, I don't want a repeat of last year. I've been fucking anything that moves and drinking anything that's liquid ever since you took off my ring. I don't need to die and go to hell to figure out what hell is like because sitting next to you five days a week and not speaking to you is like I've died and gone to hell. Sure, I go out with Niko and the guys, but...I'm just trying to forget you. And even when I'm trying to forget you, I can't forget you. Even when I'm fucking another woman, all I see is your face and I'm even saying your name when I'm in bed with other women."

He watched Mallorie's eyes fill. "You think this isn't hard for me too, Roman?"

Roman continued. "Other men do not know the things I know about you." His eyes were filling now too and some tears ran down his cheeks. "I know you love strawberry syrup on ice cream and I know you hate when I quote old movies and I know you think you're really cool because you think you are the only Puerto Rican that hates Luis Fonsi." Here, Mallorie giggled; he pronounced Luis like "Louis." But she stopped immediately when she saw that Roman was trying to control his crying. "And you don't like when I call you at six in the morning but I just want to hear your voice, Mallorie. America is not my home. But you are one of the first people I saw when I got here. You are my home. That's what I've been realizing and it's embarrassing that it took me 11 years to realize that...I was looking for home everywhere else, in the American Dream, but the American Dream was right next to me at my desk at work all along." He smiled that genuine smile at her. 

Now it was Mallorie's turn to hold back tears. She had never heard this from him before. Hell, it was the first time he'd ever said that America wasn't his home; he'd always embraced the U.S. and wanted to forget everything about Serbia. Roman wasn't done yet.

"The past three months have been Vlad all over again and I swore to myself I would never put us through that ever again. I know I have to be new man now. I know I have to love you with everything I am. And before you say 'how do I know this will be different?', I swear on my mother's grave I will love you and protect you."

Mallorie was on the edge and when he took her hand and kissed her palm and fingers, she fell off the deep end, closing her eyes. She felt the warmth when he rested her palm against his cheek and smiled at her dreamily.

"I fell in love with her courage, her sincerity and her flaming self respect. And it's these things I'd believe in even if the whole world indulged in wild suspicions that she wasn't all she should be. I love her and it is the beginning of everything," he said softly. Mallorie's heart melted even more. He really had changed for the better.

"F. Scott Fitzgerald."

He smiled and nodded. Dinner came and they ate. Afterwards, they worked on the bottle of wine, alcohol lightly swimming in their heads. Roman took her hand and kissed it again and looked at her with gleaming brown eyes. "Darling, I am not ready to go home after this. Why don't we walk for a bit, see where the night takes us?"

Mallorie smiled and nodded. "I'd like that, but..." she squeezed his hand. "Feed me dessert like you used to?"

He smiled and nodded and they moved to a booth so that they could be side by side and more intimate with each other and ordered tiramisu. When it came, they fed each other. Neither of them were thinking that the night could end with them in bed with each other. At least, Mallorie didn't think she did. Truth be told, the more he talked, the more he smiled and the more wine she drank (they ordered another bottle for dessert), the more she missed his big, strong body on top of hers, his moist lips kissing her and her breasts and pussy and his chest hair to kiss and rest her head on after lovemaking. She missed his powerful thrusts, the way her legs would shake when he made her come, they way he'd say her name and murmur sweet things in Serbian to her when he was close, his strong arms holding her after they finished, his sweet, soft kisses in the early morning when their bodies were spent...she knew what they were capable of when they made love and she wanted him to show her he still had it.

After dessert and paying the check, they walked outside. A group of tourists were passing by on the sidewalk. Mallorie was looking down at the sidewalk, thoughts rushing through her head like a waterfall, and wasn't paying attention, so when Roman gently moved her out of the way and into the doorway of another restaurant, she was taken aback.

"Roman! What the fuck??"

Roman simply jerked his thumb behind him. "Tourists."

Mallorie blushed, embarrassed, and giggled. "Oh..."

The group passed and Roman turned back to Mallorie and their eyes locked once more as their faces were now inches from one another. They didn't blink, daring one another to make the first move and kiss the other.

"KISS ME, YOU FUCKING IDIOTA!" Mallorie wanted to scream. She was glad he was respecting her--it was what she'd wanted all along--but Roman had never been shy about making a move and here she was finally wanting him to kiss her, but he wasn't doing anything. Why? Was he worried about what she'd say or how she'd react? She wanted to reassure him that he didn't have to worry about either, that she wanted him too, but then again, the tension was just too delicious, like everything she'd seen in the movies. 

"Um..." Roman broke the silence. "you were...in the way...so..."

"Right...thanks."

"Uh..." Roman didn't want the night to end, but he also didn't know what to say next. "You want to go to Jerkov's?"

"Sure..."

Roman backed up and let her walk in front of him. They walked close together past a few shops, Mallorie looking for a suitable alleyway. She decided that it was now or never. If he wouldn't kiss her, she'd kiss him. The time for respecting her and treating her like a lady was over. She'd show him it was okay, that she wanted and needed him. 

Unbeknownst to her, Roman was waiting for the right time to make a move too. He'd never wanted a woman as badly as he wanted Mallorie right now. Every time he had the chance to start something, like back in that restaurant doorway, his body screamed at him to kiss her and caress her creamy tan skin, but his brain told him to allow the lady to decide when it was okay to touch. He wanted to make this night perfect for her. For once, it wasn't going to be about what he wanted.

They continued walking for a bit longer, past the Italian deli and past a few more shops. Roman couldn't stop sneaking glances at her creamy shoulder, but stayed on his best behavior. 

They passed an alleyway. _Perfect,_ Mallorie thought. Before Roman could react, she pulled him into the alleyway and made him push her against the brick wall. She put a hand on the nape of his neck and pressed his lips to hers, kissing him torridly. Roman was taken aback at first, but quickly adjusted, cupping her cheeks. It was the first real kiss he'd had in months. He was ashamed to say that he'd forgotten how sweet her lips tasted, especially tonight with her watermelon lip balm. When he ran his hand up her thigh, she didn't stop him.

Mallorie broke the kiss, breathless. Roman's heart turned into a puddle when her lips brushed his beard like they always used to do. Their lips massaged each other again before kissing again, slower this time, making sure their tongues caressed each other gently. Roman figured it was safe to be smooth now.

"I take it you...don't want to go to Jerkov's."

Mallorie simply shook her head slowly in response. Taking him by the hand, she led him back to his Esperanto.

In the car, he had an arm around her, but was nervous again. He turned on the radio, but figured The Clock wasn't appropriate for the current mood and switched over to JNR. To his relief, it was playing It Was a Lover and His Lass by Maxine Sullivan. He got even more nervous when Mallorie rested her head on his chest as they began the drive back to Bohan as the radio cycled through jazz music from the 20s through the 40s, his favorite show on the station. 

The minute they pulled up to her mother's place, Mallorie unbuttoned her seatbelt and turned off the radio and pressed her lips to Roman's again. Roman was trying to be good, but her lips tasted too sweet, so he invited the kiss and made it deeper. It was incredible how three months could feel like a lifetime. He thought he would never taste these lips or feel this skin again. He also never thought he'd get to make out with her in his car again like they used to.

All the same, he felt that "be good" nagging at him again when her hands ran up his tan shirt and over his tie, feeling his new body. Mallorie wanted to invite him inside, but she also couldn't wait for him any longer. 

Getting wetter, she moved her hands down to his belt and tried to undo it and that's when maturity kicked in as Roman took her hands and broke the kiss.

"Roman..." she said breathlessly. "Please..." was all she could say. She hated herself for begging, but he'd been amazing tonight and she wanted to be amazing for him. Roman shook his head and looked at her with big, sad eyes.

"I just...I...Mal, I want to too, but..." He chose his words carefully. "I just do not think that it's the right thing to do." He kept his voice quiet as they looked at each other, both of their hearts shattering into pieces. "I'm sorry."

Mallorie wanted to do so many things in that moment: kiss him again, take the straps of her dress down so he could see her titties that he loved so much, anything to get him to stay with her. She loved that he was respecting her, but she wanted the old Roman back just for the night. But she was more proud of the new Roman than anything and sat back in the passenger's seat and picked up her purse and slung it over her shoulder before looking at him one last time.

"Thank you for tonight. It was amazing," she smiled at him and was responded to with a weak smile.

"Of course," he said softly.

They looked at each other for a few minutes more before she softly kissed him again and got out. Roman watched her disappear inside and rested his head against the seat. He'd done the right thing. So why did he still feel like he did something wrong? He'd said all the right things, done all the right things, but something still felt wrong. 

Confident, he got out of the car and went inside the apartment building. Going up to the third floor where he knew her mother's apartment was, he found her at the door fiddling with her keys.

"Mallorie."

Mallorie looked up to see Roman walking briskly up the stairs, his eyes laser-focused on her. Her heart pounded. Had he changed his mind? He walked quickly up to her, cupped her cheeks and kissed her deeply, desperately and passionately, pinning both their hands on the doorway wall above them. Mallorie wanted more. She wanted so much more. She deepened the kiss, sticking her tongue deeper in his mouth, loving the goosebumps she felt against Roman's body as she did so. But when her hands drifted down again, he stopped her again.

"Roman, what's the matter? Are you Kate now?"

Roman chuckled slightly. "No. Is just..." he had to find his words again. "Mallorie, that kiss we had in the alley and the kiss just now...those were the first real kisses I've had in months. And I feel like sex would ruin that, even if it were slow and passionate. I just...I do not want to ruin things this time.”

Roman's heart broke even more when he saw Mallorie's eyes filling. “You...you won’t if you touch me...why won't you touch me, Roman?" her tears made her voice small, almost like a child's. Roman's eyes turned big and sad again as he cupped her cheeks. Mallorie took in a breath and closed her eyes. His hands were cold and clammy, sweating from nervousness, but the second he touched her skin, they were ignited and felt like the hottest fire imaginable. She needed those hands going down her body, her breasts...why wouldn't he touch her? 

Roman kissed her slowly and deeply this time. Mallorie closed her eyes, feeling his lips and his beard, but as quickly as it began, it ended. She opened her eyes to see him backing away from her with a forlorn look on his face.

"That is all I can give you. I'm sorry," he threw his arms out to the side helpless and turned his back to her. A tear rolled down her cheek, but she kept her voice confident and strong.

"Roman."

He stopped at the foot of the stairs and looked at her. _Please don't make this harder for me than it already is, Mal. _ She slowly approached him. Now it was her turn to choose her words carefully.

"You know, all my life, I thought I was just gonna grow up and marry someone Mama chose for me. But then I met you. And for the past 11 years, you've taken me on the wildest adventure I've ever been on." Here they both slightly smiled. "A lot of shitty things have happened to us, but the good outweighs the bad and I wouldn't change it for the world. And here I am in a beautiful dress and...you're here." 

Roman looked into her eyes, unblinking.

"I'm glad you're respecting me. I really am. I'm happy you're treating me like a woman and not like a piece of ass finally. But...you've proven yourself to me. I think you're still trying to prove yourself to yourself." She put her hands in his and stepped up close to him. "You don't always have to do the right thing, Roman," she murmured. "I don't want to be touched by Pedro, I didn't want to be touched by Vlad, I want to be touched by you and you only, Roman."

No woman had ever tempted him like this and when her hands tried to lead him to the door, his body made his eyes look at her parted moist lips, even though his mind begged him not to.

"Please come inside. Mama is asleep."

His body pressed hers against the wall, faces inches from each other. He'd been in her room before. He knew where she loved being made love to. Here was his chance to go inside and love down her body surrounded by the orange glow of her lamp, staying quiet so they didn't wake her mother, like they always did in the early days of their relationship. 

Her hands moved lower to his belt again. His body was fucking screaming at him, but his mind was stronger.

"I'll...see you tomorrow at work."

With that, he left. Mallorie watched him leave before tears streamed down her face. She ran inside her apartment, keeping her crying silent so her mother wouldn't wake up and start gloating. She went into her room and fell onto her bed, makeup still on, mascara running down her face. Why? Why wouldn't he touch her? He was worried about offending her, but she'd made it clear she wanted him too. Or maybe he didn't want her to fall too hard for her...that there was someone else...Mallorie shook her head, getting the thought out of her mind. Or maybe he thought that she had someone else. But even if she did--and she knew it was hypocritical because she’d chewed Niko out for cheating on Kate earlier that day--she'd gladly go to his bed. No one touched her like he did, no one loved her like he did. The rational part of her brain that told her that he just wanted to take things slow was being drowned out by the paranoia.

Roman got back in the Esperanto and rested his head on the steering wheel, crying softly. Saying no fucking sucked. Mallorie was presenting herself to him on a silver platter and he couldn't pull the trigger. The worst part was that she probably thought he didn't want her or that he wasn't attracted to her anymore, which couldn't be further from the truth. He wanted to be in her bed so badly. He could taste her lips on the sheets, see her caramel body against the white linen, feel her breasts in his hands, hear her sighs in the dark room. The night had just been too perfect. Thus, he smiled gently on the way back to the Middle Park East apartment.

Thankfully, Niko wasn't home; Roman didn't feel like playing 20 questions. He went into his room and fell on his bed, fully clothed, staring at the wall. It wasn't about his pride anymore. Fuck his pride, he wasn't Brucie. Something had clicked in his brain in the past few months. He thought back to July and that night at Brucie's party when she had taken off his ring after he asked if they were ready to get married. It had been just sex for 11 years. Sure, he loved her and sure, he proposed, but he could never fully grow up and plan a wedding. He had told her he loved her before, but he was trying to convince himself. He didn't have to convince himself anymore. He knew how he felt about her. He needed her, body and soul. Mallorie was right; it was okay to love her body. He wanted to; he worshiped her. She was a goddess and deserved to be treated as one. 

With newfound determination, he sat up and grabbed his phone, praying it wasn't too late. He clicked on her name and thought about what to text, thumbs at the ready. He wanted to be smooth, yet dramatic, like all the guys in old movies that he watched. Finally, he figured out what to say.

_ "Tell me it isn't too late for me to see your body in my bed. Tell me it isn't too late to say I'm sorry. Tell me my lips can taste your skin again for the first time in months." _

In Bohan, Mallorie dried her eyes and picked up her phone. Her breathing increased ten-fold when she saw his text. Biting her lip, she texted back.

_ "Meet me at ur old apartment in hb." _

Roman was halfway out the door when Mallorie texted back. He looked at her text and mouthed a confused "what?" to himself and texted back, _"As in the apartment that Dimitri burned down?"_

_ "Yea, i got a surprise for u. Turns out u do get a reward after all. ;)" _

Roman smiled in awe. Mallorie continued to amaze him. Running out of the apartment, he groaned when he saw the traffic-ridden street. He crossed it and ran down the stairs of the Quartz East subway station. And then he ran down some more stairs. Aaaand some more stairs. Now he understood why Niko hated taking the subway. 

He finally reached the platform and groaned when he remembered that he'd have to board the J train around Algonquin back to Easton Station in order to get back to Broker. The subway lines had taken him forever to memorize when he'd first arrived in Liberty City and between running the cab depot and driving himself, he'd mostly forgotten how they worked. The only lines he still had memorized were the ones in Broker and Dukes.

* * *

Mallorie had sped over to Broker as soon as she texted Roman. Now she was back in front of the familiar brown apartment with its red door. Looking above her, the top of the building was gone. Mallorie remembered that horrid day when Roman had called her, frantic because Dimitri and his men had hunted down him and Niko. She remembered how filled with rage Niko's voice was. She remembered how, later, Roman had told her that he had bought a ring for her that burned down in this apartment. She couldn't help but wonder if it was still there.

Mallorie turned back to the street. Across the way was Comrade's Bar. She frowned when she remembered how Roman never liked going there because of Vlad. He still didn't, even though the Russian was dead. With Niko, he felt safe enough to go there. It was stupid to be offended by that, but she wished she could tell him she'd protect him. But to do that, she'd probably have to ask Niko how to fight. She'd fought a lot in her junior high and high school days, but those were just teenage girl brawls. Nothing like the fighting Niko did.

Mallorie looked around anxiously and sighed. Where was he? Did he change his mind again? Maybe she should have suggested a different place to make love...the old apartment might be too triggering for him. But they'd had so many memories here...

* * *

"This. Is. Emerald. Station."

Roman fidgeted in his seat. He was only sitting down to get the stares of a homeless man off of him. He remembered why he didn't like the subway: when you actually had to get someplace fast, the trains went slow as shit. 

As if the train heard his thoughts, before he knew it, it had reached Huntington Street. Roman jumped off the train and ran up the stairs. He was just in time to catch the train back to Schottler. Two stations later, he was in the familiar confines of the Hove Beach subway station. He tried not to think about even the happy memories of hanging out at the station with Brucie, Niko and Little Jacob jumping on and off of the trains like teenage boys. He ran down the stairs, pausing to look up at the big stained glass window with the old-fashioned train and taking a deep breath. He ran, faster than he ever had, down the ramp out of the station. 

Now on Wappinger Avenue in Hove Beach, he panted and looked around, trying to remember how to get back to the apartment. He saw the boardwalk of Firefly Island and his surroundings clicked in his brain and he took off running across the street, not caring if cars were coming; his new, thinner self allowed him to run faster. He ran past the bank and turned onto Mohawk and stopped and gulped as he saw the old apartment with the top half burned off. He looked down and saw Mallorie, leaning against the building wall still in her dress, only now, she wore a white cardigan. She saw him too and put both feet on the ground, giddy because he was still in his new suit. Roman ran across the street, blocking out his peripheral vision of Comrade's, and picked her up, spinning her around and around in circles, both of them smiling. He set her down and kissed her deeply, but broke the kiss quickly.

"I...I...I'm sorry, I...I took the train and I...I was trying to do the right thing, and...and..."

Mallorie shook her head, silencing him. "Come on, I got somethin' to show ya!"

She grabbed his hand and led him inside. The stairs were still standing and some of the mailboxes were still there, but the place smelled like old ashes. Fallen rubble was in a pile behind the stairwell.

"How did you find out everything was still here?" Roman asked as they went up the stairs carefully.

"I was in Hove the other day dropping off a customer and decided to look around. I got curious and tried pushing the door open and got in. And...I was able to get into your old place." 

She stopped in front of the blue door to the old apartment, looking up at him nervously. 

"Um...a lot of stuff is still here..."

"Well, let's see it then!"

Mallorie gently pushed the door open and they both went inside. Roman's eyes widened. A lot WAS still here, the card table in the kitchen, for starters, although it was on the tile floor in shambles. The stove and counter were still there too, albeit covered in ashes and soot. The wood floor was still intact. The overhead light bulb in the kitchen still hung and was off at the moment and so was the bedside table lamp, now on the floor due to the night stand being burned, but the overhead light by the doorway was on and Mallorie had lit candles that illuminated the pullout bed that had remained and the charred nightstand, on which Mallorie had placed the picture of her and Roman in the jacuzzi. She picked it up and brought it over to him now.

"Remember this?" she smiled.

"It's my desktop background," he smiled and said matter-of-factly.

Her smile faded and she put the picture down. "Roman...if you wanna do it someplace else, just tell me. I know this place is still a little triggering for you because of what Dimitri did and--"

"Mallorie, I'm fine. Really! I'm not Niko." He smiled, finding it adorable that she was so worried about him.

She smiled up at him. "Okay," she said quietly. Their smiles faded as their lips were inches from each other's again. They each leaned in, but dared each other to kiss first. As if to make amends for earlier that evening, Roman made the first move, leaning in and kissing her softly and lovingly, tongues caressing each other. 

_Now THIS is a kiss!,_ Mallorie thought as he made it a little harder. The kiss soon became passionate, but still slow. Mallorie broke it, but kept her lips on his, kissing the top of his beard softly.

"I'm too dressed," she whispered hotly. He was just able to detect the want in her voice. He slipped two fingers under each spaghetti strap and pulled them down gently. Mallorie took a shuddering breath as goosebumps kissed her body when the back of his hands lightly caressed her skin. She could tell he was hard, she could tell he was horny, but she could also tell that she wasn't going to get the Roman that would fuck her for a half hour and be done. No. She was going to get a much different Roman tonight. 

Her dress straps were off and he let them fall. She wrapped her arms around his neck and their kiss was deep and passionate this time. He moved down to kiss her neck. It was time to show her what he'd missed about her and it was time to show her how she should be made love to. 

He kissed the left side of her neck, then kissed her throat and moved to the right side. Her shuddering breaths made him hard as hell, but he didn't dare speed up. He kissed her breastbone and stopped and looked into her eyes. Both of them knew that if they made love tonight, they couldn't go back. Back to three months ago, back to Vlad, back to cheating on each other constantly, back to his gambling addiction. All of that was going to disappear tonight. He pressed his forehead to hers, causing their breath to intermingle.

_"Tako si lepa..." _he murmured. She knew what that meant--he clued her in on all his Serbian pet names for her when they first made love--and that he meant it this time. He always called her beautiful, but his voice was different now. She pushed his suit jacket off of his shoulders and ran her hands over his body through his tan dress shirt. 

"I missed you..."

"Mallorie..." she was slightly confused when she heard want and desperation and a hint of anger in his voice. "Vlad..."

Mallorie tried not to groan at him bringing Vlad up again. "What about him, baby?"

"Tell me what he didn't do so I can do it. Tell me what he didn't give you..."

Her next sexy breath let him know that she was ready to be taken. Her heart was lying on the floor now. She felt like stripping for him and having the most wild, insane sex they'd ever had in 11 years right then and there, but she knew he wanted to take his time. So she started remembering.

"He didn't let my dress fall..." His lips felt the wet murmur of hers. All he had to do to get the feather-light dress to fall was tug it once. Once it was down, he almost said "holy fuck" out loud. Roman had always found Mallorie's body insanely sexy, but being deprived of it for three months gave him a newfound appreciation of how beautiful it was. Her firm, small breasts hid behind a white and black-polka dotted bra and the same pattern of panties hid her pussy. Roman was almost sweating now from being so hard, but he kept it cool.

"What else?" his voice was breathless.

"He didn't know my body. So much of me was cold because he didn't touch it..."

Roman knew what she needed and was ready to go. Mallorie closed her eyes and sighed when his strong hands set every inch of her on fire. When he reached the hem of her panties, he stopped.

"Did he get on his knees and worship you?"

"No..."

Within seconds, he was on his knees looking up at her, his eyes wide, admiring her as if she were a golden idol. That fucking Russian cocksucker. Roman hoped he was in hell looking up at how he was loving Mallorie because he had lost the best thing that had ever happened to him when Niko killed him. 

Keeping his eyes on her, Roman ran his hands from her ankles upward. Mallorie undid her ponytail; she know he loved her best when she was half naked and her long, light brown hair hung in tendrils on her face. As he moved his hands up maddeningly slow, he kissed her stomach and belly button softly, murmuring "Mal," making her throw her head back and sigh and bite her lip. His hands reached the hem of her panties once more and was about to pull them down when she stopped him.

"He didn't kiss me."

He knew instantly where she wanted his lips. Mallorie let out her first cry of the night, throwing her head back as his lips made the fabric of her panties feel like fucking nothing. She smiled deliciously. He was done being nervous and respectful; that cry let him know that she knew what she wanted. He pulled her panties down with his teeth, but only to her knees, and kissed her warm, pink slit. Three months. Three months without this pussy, this body, these lips. He vowed to never let it happen again. 

Mallorie was on cloud nine. He was on his knees in front of her. She didn't have to beg for his attention. No distractions. He was all hers. Her man had come to his senses and was back where he should be and she couldn't be happier. 

She was horny as hell now and couldn't wait any longer. Pulling him back up by his tie--him leaving her taste on her stomach via hot kisses--she pulled him in for a hot, passionate kiss, tongues doing fiery dances in each other's mouths. His eyes followed hers to her breasts.

"He didn't take what was his..." she bit her lip slightly. The old Roman would have dove right into her titties, but New Roman looked at them hiding in her strapless bra for a few minutes more as if preparing himself to witness their beauty. Finally, he snaked a hand around her back and undid the straps one by one. Her lips touched his as each undone snap lightly plucked her back.

"Mallorie..." as her fully nude body was revealed to him. "it's time I made love to you how you deserve. I am not fucking you tonight. I am making love to you."

"He didn't make love to me until dawn..."

His heart was filled with insane love for her. "Mallorie, I promise you with everything I am that I will make love to you until dawn."

They kissed again lovingly as she pulled him by his tie to the futon, their lips still glued together, him massaging her breasts and hips. They sat down on the bed and broke the kiss.

"So what part of me did you miss most? My titties?" Mallorie smiled.

Roman smiled too. "There are so many parts to choose from. But you know, I missed your laugh and your accent and..."

"My titties?"

"You just see right through me, don't you?" They both chuckled before Roman got serious again. "But...I really did miss all of those things about you, Mal. I missed everything about you. It was hard not to hear your voice every day."

Mallorie smiled genuinely. She believed him, but wanted to play with him more.

"And my titties?"

Roman smiled and closed the gap between them. "Especially your titties," he said in a soft voice and they kissed again. She placed a hand on the nape of his neck and pulled him in, lying back on the lone pillow. 

"Ro..." she broke the kiss, putting a hand on his chest. "I wanna hear you say it."

Roman's eyes drilled into hers. "Okay..." He gathered up all his strength and courage and told her what she wanted to hear and how he really felt. "Mallorie Bardas...I love you."

Against his lips, he felt the whisper, "Tell me in Serbian..."

"_Volim te..."_

She sighed lovingly. "_Te amo, _Roman..."

He kissed her sweetly as she pulled on his tie, undoing it with his help. His shirt came off and fell onto the floor and she sighed as she felt the thicket of black chest hair for the first time in months. 

"This is what I missed the most..." they smiled against each other's lips and made the kiss hotter as his belt came off. They broke the kiss for half a second when her hand rested on the button on his slacks keeping her from his length. Their foreheads pressed together as he nodded, giving her silent permission to free him. Keeping her eyes on his, she undid the button and unzipped his pants, bringing out his cock and loving the way his breath got heavy as she stroked him. He wanted to dive into her warmth now, but wanted to keep the foreplay going. His mouth needed to taste something, so he took what he missed so much and licked the underside of her breast slowly up to her nipple, kissing it softly. He heard another delicious cry from Mallorie.

"Roman...oh God..." He was rock solid. His cock teased the slit of her pussy up and down as their noses touched and they sighed against each other's lips. The moment was finally here, but they almost didn't want to seal the deal; the foreplay, teasing and being close like this again was too delicious and they wanted it to last as long as possible. 

"Do I have to...wear something?" Roman's sexy mumble finally came against her lips before kissing her. Mallorie smiled.

"D'you forget I'm on the pill?"

"Ohhh, right!" he smiled, kissing her. "Just tell me when..."

She nodded as his lips moved down, kissing, not missing an inch. Mallorie moaned blissfully; not just her breasts, but every part of her was getting loved.

"Babyyy...you're forgetting my titties..." she giggled.

"But I want to love every part of you..."

She moved his chin up to face her. "My titties are part of me, Roman."

He chuckled and smiled. "That they are, darling," and he kissed and licked her nipples until the breathless whisper came in his ear:

"Now."

With his hot breath on her nipple and his smoldering, sexy brown eyes locked on hers, he entered her, making her immediately throw her head back and moan. She brought his chin back up to her again and murmured one word against his lips:

"Papi."

That floored him and he had to fight like hell not to speed up. "Am I your papi again, baby?" he asked against her lips.

"You never stopped being my papi..." she kissed him passionately again as they sighed against each other's lips as he thrust.

"I love you, Mallorie..." 

She never got tired of hearing it. "I love you, Roman..."

He kissed her again and was thrilled when her eyes started rolling back in her head. He intertwined his hands with hers and pinned her arms on the burned out wall behind her and sped up, their sighs turning into moans now, her getting closer and closer every time he said her name. To stifle his moans, he latched onto her breast, sucking it and making her cry out.

"ROMAN!"

She moaned loudly against his lips as she came, kissing him and biting his lip, causing his release to come soon after hers. 

* * *

True to his word, he made love to her until dawn. After the first round came round two, then round three at 4 a.m. Even at 6 a.m. when her body was sore and she was content just to lay in his arms, the blue light streaming through the windows that once were covered by curtains, but now were wide open thanks to the fire, his soft, sweet kisses melting into her cheek and eyelid, she wanted to be loved again. Their morning pillow talk made a return too.

"How many other girls were there?" she whispered.

Roman thought a while before answering. "I lost count," he said softly, stroking her hair. She had missed his morning voice so much. "after you left me, I just...lost myself. How many other men were there?"

Mallorie took a deep breath. "I slept with one guy." He stopped stroking her hair and leaned back and she became cold and felt barren all of a sudden. She shook her head. "I just couldn't do it...I left once he was asleep and went home and cried. Even when I didn't like you and thought you were immature, I still loved you..." She pressed her lips to his, needing his morning kisses; she hadn't had them in so long. Her soft, sexy morning sighs when he slipped two fingers into her raw pussy, softly kissing her got her on his cock once again as she rode him slowly, loving his face in pleasure. He smiled as he found her bra and tried to put it on again, but she shook her head and slid it off. 

* * *

At 7:30, her phone alarm went off for work and she went to turn it off, but this time, he stopped her.

"Work, Roman..." but she made no moves, kissing him again.

"I'll tell Niko he's in charge today."

"But..." 

Roman silenced her by kissing her. _"I'm_ your boss and _I_ say we do not have work today!" they smiled and kissed and he made love to her again. 

* * *

Around nine, they were finally too spent to continue. Mallorie kissed his chest hair and rested her head on it as Roman stroked her hair, looking down at her, then around at the apartment.

"Niko was right. This place really _was _shitty."

Mallorie giggled slightly and kissed his chest again and moved up to his face and rested her head against his chin, feeling his beard as he lightly kissed her temple. 

"Well, I said everything I wanted to say at dinner," she said, stroking his chest. "do you have anything you wanna say?"

"Well, there is one thing..."

Roman looked around the apartment and spied a small box in the corner of the room. He peered closer and his eyes widened when he realized what it was. It couldn't be...he thought for sure it had been lost in the fire. He reached down and picked the small box up.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here..." he opened it up and revealed the diamond ring to Mallorie, who stared at it in shock.

"I...thought it burned..."

"So did I." He looked at her with burning love in his eyes. "I still have the old one. Want both?" He asked softly.

"Roman...do you think we're ready now?" 

He smiled confidently; she remembered his words from July. "I _know _we are ready."

Roman slid the ring back on her finger. She was his again. Forever. Mallorie went into his arms and kissed him fluidly again, her tongue playing sexily with his. She smiled mischievously and kissed down the line of chest hair going to his stomach. Roman smiled as he watched her, thankful that the doms' scars were almost fully healed, but Mallorie still noticed, kissing them.

"What happened to you...?"

"Uhhhh...so...there were two girls...um...when Niko and I went to Maisonette 9, uh...they had whips."

Mallorie burst out laughing. 

"Hey come on, it hurt!!"

"Awwwww, Papiiii!" she kissed the length of all three scars, him sighing at her lingering sexy kisses and how they tickled. Her kisses decreased in speed as they went lower.

"Ah...beautiful...where are you going?" he smiled.

Mallorie looked up at him, smiling craftily. "When's the last time I gave you a blowie?"


	9. Niko's Room

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Niko and Kate do some reconciling. ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Explanation for the wicked lame title: it's a play on the Drake song "Marvin's Room," in which Drake throws a party and then drunk dials his ex-girlfriend. Like I'm wicked sorry, I literally could not think of another title dfjsdjfs
> 
> I had no clue how to describe the glasses Roman was wearing lol so here's a picture: https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/41pvZ6GKmJL._SX425_.jpg
> 
> There will be some menstruation talk, but it's silly, but still, just a heads up if that triggers you. :)

That same Thursday night, Niko made his usual visit to the flower shop in Northern Gardens to pick up blue delphiniums and headed over to Meadows Park. It was a miracle he didn't crash; he was almost driving in a trance. He almost felt pathetic; the amount of shit he'd been through in life and _this _was what he was nervous for? Confronting his (ex?) girlfriend's family? He gripped the steering wheel white-knuckled, trying to think of what he was going to say. Not only did he have losing Kate as his girlfriend to worry about, he also had to worry about losing Packie and Gerry as friends. Or maybe they were already gone. All he knew was that if this didn't work, who knew what would happen to him.

He parked outside the familiar brownstone on Savannah Avenue and rested his head against the seat. He looked at the house. The lights were on. Awesome. That meant she was home, but it also meant Packie and Gerry were home. Closing his eyes, Niko took a deep breath and rehearsed what he was going to say.

"Katie, I am sorry I cheated on you and all of you, I am sorry I killed Derrick. I was following Francis' orders. That's all. Derrick was a good friend of mine and I would never hurt him if I hadn't been given a choice between killing him and prison...okay...time to go commit social suicide..." 

He got out of his Buccaneer and strode up to the front door and rang the doorbell, holding the flowers in front of him and waiting apprehensively. Finally, the door opened slowly and Gerry's stern face appeared. Niko could tell he was trying to hold in an outburst. But he played it cool and smiled gently.

"Hey Gerry!"

"Hi," the Irishman said in a monotone voice, wearing a stone face. The two men stood across from each other, Niko lightly hitting his chest with the flowers, his eyes darting around rapidly.

"Uh...is Kate home?"

"No."

Niko continued to look around awkwardly. "...Do you know when she'll be back?"

"No."

Niko nodded once. "Okay, good talk." He turned around and was about to go back down the stairs when a female voice called from inside.

"Gerald, let him in. There's literally nothing he can say to me."

Niko closed his eyes and sighed softly and turned around. Gerry opened the door wider so the Serb could come in, still staring at him coldly. Packie and his mother sat down, while Kate stood by the fireplace with her arms crossed, looking guarded as if she thought he might touch her. Gerry closed the door and came up alongside Niko and folded his arms, looking down at him as if he were a security guard about to throw him out of somewhere.

"Have a seat, Nicholas," Mrs. McReary indicated a chair.

"Thank you," Niko said as he sat down.

"Why are you letting him sit down, Ma?" Packie whined.

"Because is a GUEST, Patrick!" 

Usually, Kate had some witty one-liner for Packie in this situation, but she stayed silent. Packie got up and walked over to Niko.

"All you had to do, man. All you had to do was keep it in your pants. And you did the ONE thing I SPECIFICALLY told you NOT to do! The ONE order you don't follow ends up fucking MY sister over!"

"Packie, when have I _ever _listened to you?"

Packie lowered his voice and shook his head. "You don't give a shit about my sister at all, man."

Niko raised his voice. "Of course I give a shit about her!" He looked at Kate. "Katie..."

Packie and Gerry wanted to block their sister from Niko's view, but Maureen told them to move off to the side so he could speak to her. Kate finally broke her silence. 

"So did you sleep with her?" she asked quietly, looking down at the flames in the fireplace, bored; it had finally started to get cold in Liberty City. Niko felt his heart melting. Kate always looked incredible when she stood by the fire. The glow always illuminated one of her cheeks.

Niko hesitated before answering. "Yes. I did."

"And you killed my son," Maureen stated.

Niko looked ashamedly at her. "Yes, ma'am, I did, but only because I was ordered to."

"See, Ma? Frankie told him to! It's not his fault!" Packie said sarcastically.

"Shut UP, Packie!" Kate finally snapped out of her leaning position by the fire.

"Can BOTH of you shut up? He's pouring his heart out to you right now, Kate," Gerry said.

"I don't...really care to listen."

"Kate, _come on!"_

"A few minutes ago, both of you hated him too!"

"He's _t__rying,_ Kate. Yeah, he's doing a shit job and he's kind of a shit human being--not like we have any room to talk, being shit human beings ourselves, but--he's trying."

Niko raised his hand timidly. "Can I say something?"

All four McRearys barked, "NO!" and Niko lowered his hand, looking around awkwardly. After a few more minutes of McReary infighting, Maureen turned her attention to him.

"So you cheated on my daughter and you killed my son," Mrs. McReary said quietly. "what exactly do you have to say for yourself, boy?"

Niko hated being called "boy," but he felt he deserved it in this case. He looked down. "I can only say I'm sorry," he looked up at Kate. "Kate, I love you, whether we're having sex or not. I fucked up and...oh, sorry, ma'am," he said as Mrs. McReary's eyes widened at his swearing. "but I was looking for revenge and...yeah, I was a little horny, I guess..." Packie stifled a laugh at this. Niko thought about what to say next. He'd sucked so far, so he had to make the next part good. "Mrs. McReary...I've never loved anything in my life except my cousin and my mother. Kate...your daughter..." he closed his eyes, cringing at saying that. _No shit she's her daughter, idiot. _"she taught me what love is," at this, Kate looked at him with big eyes that met his just-as-big ones. "Mrs. McReary, I love your daughter with all my heart. A lot of people think I don't have a heart and for a while, I believed them, but...Kate showed me I still had one. Katie...I love you. And...I don't know if we'll ever be able to come back from this, but...if this is the end, know that I will always love you."

He looked around at all the Irish people's stoic faces. "Uhh...I'm just going to...head out. Goodbye, Kate."

She didn't respond. Niko was about to turn and leave when Packie stopped him.

"Hey man, uh...if we ever meet up at the Beer Garden for drinks, we'll let ya know."

Niko nodded solemnly and left. He went back to his Buccaneer in a trance and rested his head against the steering wheel. Without Kate, he was back to being nothing, back to being nobody. He felt empty, he felt hollow. He felt that familiar feeling coming on again: the feeling of losing control of his life.

* * *

And that's exactly what happened. Over the course of the next month...had a month even passed? Niko wouldn't know, he was wasted constantly. Every night, he drank until his liver couldn't take anymore, went home with whatever woman was willing and fucked her senseless. They always said the sex was good in the mornings, but for him, it sucked because he was drunk and because it wasn't with Kate. He called up Alex and started fucking her again and even called Carmen. It was the most sex he'd had in a year. 

That was just during the week. Every weekend, he was in a nightclub, a strip club or at someone's party. Even though Roman was reluctant, he got Niko a Maisonette 9 membership and as he predicted, Niko abused the privilege. Even Brucie was getting concerned with how loaded the Serb was getting at his parties. Niko had never thought of himself as much of a ladies' man, but it was like word seemed to spread throughout Liberty City that he was single and the women were flocking to him and he was getting sex every night. He would wake up the next morning and half of his phone contact list would be full of women's numbers that he'd gotten the night before.

His drinking was out of control too. Now that Roman was mature and with Mallorie planning the wedding, Niko felt it was his responsibility to step up and fulfill the role of partier. He was downing one, two, three, even four entire bottles of vodka a night. He always seemed to end up in hotel rooms at the Majestic with women who were probably strippers or prostitutes. He always saw white stuff on the coffee tables of the suites he ended up in, but he was too drunk to care. He fucked every woman there. They were high and he was drunk. No one gave a fuck. They just wanted to party with and fuck Niko Bellic, the most dangerous man in Liberty City. 

At 3 a.m. though, there always came that nagging feeling as he lay in bed staring at the ceiling of wherever he was, his hangover kicking in: what was Kate doing? Was she okay? Was she with someone else? Had her virginity been taken yet? And how were the boys? Niko meant to make good on that Steinway's Beer Garden date, but he couldn't bring himself to do it because meeting up with the boys meant seeing Kate and he was too ashamed to do that. 

* * *

Word of Niko's drunken escapades reached Kate via some of the girls at work who clubbed (and had probably fucked Niko) and, even though every bone in her body was begging her not to and telling her that she shouldn't waste any more time on him, she hopped on the subway to Algonquin and paid a visit to the Middle Park East apartment one afternoon after work when she knew one of the boys would be home. She rang the doorbell and a "come in!" came from inside. She couldn't tell whose voice it was, but it sounded too cheerful to be Niko's, so Roman must be home. She entered since the door was unlocked. 

The apartment was big and empty and a little messy, with some of the guys' backpacks and other things strewn on the couches and dirty dishes in the kitchen sink. "Hellooo, is anyone here?" She looked around. She heard a chair scoot back and out of the corner of her eye, saw Roman appear from his room, leaning back in his desk chair. She turned and jumped when she saw he was wearing glasses with droopy slinky eyeballs.

"Roman, take those off! You scared the shit out of me..." Kate entered the Serb's room, which was surprisingly a lot cleaner than when she had last been in it, which hadn't been in a while.

Roman obliged, but whined. "Hey, these are original novelty glasses from the 60s! Do you know how hard it is to find these?" he raised the glasses and rested them on his hair. Kate took a folding chair from the kitchen and brought it in and sat down behind Roman.

"Whatcha doing?" Kate watched his computer monitor.

"Ahh, Mallorie wants me to look at wedding venues..." he mused, scrolling through pictures on Eyefind. "I think we'll just get married at the church."

Kate smiled. "I'm glad you two are okay now." Roman heard her voice trail off and could tell she was thinking about Niko. He turned to face her and frowned.

"He isn't himself, Kate." He shook his head, looking off into the distance and Kate could see that his eyes were filling. "He's back to being out at all hours of the night again, he's banging other women every night, he's always drunk or hungover, he's skipping work, he's not picking up fares, he does not say anything to me...I cannot fire him because he is my cousin, but I just want to...I don't know, shake him and make him right again. He's basically what I was three months ago. I'm losing my cousin, Kate. I'm back to fearing that I am going to find his name in the obituaries someday."

Kate watched him sniff and wipe his eyes and her own eyes started to fill. Kate didn't cry much, but she felt like all she'd been doing the past few months was crying. And she was crying over a guy, something she swore she'd never do. She wrapped her arms around Roman, who held her tightly. Roman gave the best hugs in Liberty City, she always said.

"You're losing your cousin and I'm losing someone I thought I was gonna spend the rest of my life with," she said sadly. "what do we do?"

Roman sighed and released her. "We can't do anything. He's going to wake up. It's just a matter of when. But...maybe you could talk to him?"

"My brothers aren't the happiest with him right now..." she sighed. "I'll...think of something." 

Roman watched her get up and turn to leave. He stopped her. "Kate?"

She turned around and looked at the Serb.

"He loves you, you know that. He might be bedding other women and he doesn't talk about you a lot, but I know he still loves you."

Kate nodded, sitting back down. "I love him too. And I wish I didn't." She chuckled slightly and shook her head. "I love a guy who cheated on me and killed my brother. How do you do it, Rom? How do you love someone like that?"

Roman shrugged. "You cannot choose your family." He looked back at his computer monitor. "I think about how and why Mallorie still loves me a lot, but here we are getting married! ...Again," he chuckled. 

Kate giggled and shook her head. "I swear, God put the two of you on this Earth to make your women's lives miserable."

Roman nodded with raised eyebrows. "You aren't wrong!"

They both chuckled, but got silent again. "But, you know...you two try and hide how you feel about each other, but it's so obvious. Mal and I see it every day. It'll be like us. I was lost and got found again. The same will happen to Niko."

Roman studied the Irish woman's sad face. He tried to think of which one of his stories from his past would help her. Finally, he decided on one.

"You know...Niko didn't have to worry about this because he got strings pulled for him, but when I emigrated here, I had to take that U.S. history test that they make immigrants take, you know? And I knew all the answers without studying for the most part because I'm really good at history, right?" Kate nodded. She'd always found Roman's love of history ironic compared to her hatred of it; she had always hated memorizing dates in school. "But there was one question about George Washington and whether the story of him chopping down the cherry tree was true or just a myth. I had always heard it was true so I put true, but I got it wrong. It was the only question on the test that I got wrong and I still got into this country. The point is, Kate, Niko is going to fuck up over and over and over again. That is just who he is. He's almost 31 and still trying to figure out his life because it's been shit. But he will always find his way back to you because he knows that you are the rock in his life when I cannot be. Love always finds a way, Kate. If Mallorie and I can find our way back to each other after I fucked up so massively for the billionth time, so can you and Niko." He smiled.

Kate smiled too. Roman always had a way of making people feel better and giving great advice. "Thanks, Rom," she smiled and hugged him again, kissing his cheek. "Well...I gotta go home and take care of Ma." Roman nodded and Kate stood up and turned to leave. She was halfway to the apartment door when she heard Roman's voice.

"He loves you, Kate. Remember that."

* * *

October came. Niko's 31st birthday party was a wild one. He and Roman and the boys started the night at Club Liberty, where Niko picked up a few women, then moved to Maisonette 9, where the lights flashed and bottles upon bottles of birthday vodka were given to him. He even drank flavored birthday cake vodka and he hated flavored vodka. 

It was midnight when they wanted him. He had one pinned to a wall and asked where they all lived. She said Vespucci Circus. All four--one man plus three women--got in a cab and headed back to the projects all wasted as fuck, grabbing and kissing on each other in the cab. In their bed, he felt like a god watching gorgeous women make out with each other and touch and kiss each other's breasts. He was finally experiencing what Roman had talked about in his emails. The sex was incredible when they actually paid attention to him; something told him that these girls were a little more interested in each other than men. Still, he loved it. Best birthday sex he'd ever had.

But by 2 a.m., the alcohol had left his system and he was wide awake, staring at the ceiling, naked women draped all over his body as if he were a king in the Middle Ages, his hangover killing him. Minus the hangover, he should be in heaven right now. He'd just had a _foursome_ on his _birthday, _for Christ's sake, yet here he was, miserable and thinking about how he should be in bed with his ex-girlfriend. He didn't even want to have sex with her. He'd been having so much sex for a month that he was tired of sex. He just wanted to hold her and be held and feel her love and know that they were okay.

Moving quietly so as not to disturb the women on top of him, Niko reached down into the pocket of his jeans and found his phone. Ignoring the "are you okay?" texts from Roman, Brucie and Little Jacob, he found Kate's name and texted her, knowing that Kate kept her phone on while she was asleep just in case her mother needed her.

In Dukes, the Irish woman was awoken by the text notification on her phone. Groaning, she turned over and pressed the home button and read his text.

_"I am fucking mess...call me."_

Kate sighed and looked down at her sheets, waking her phone up every time the screen got darker. Roman's words from a few weeks ago echoed in her head. 

_"He loves you, Kate. Remember that."_

_"Love always finds a way."_

It wasn't like he was texting or calling her incessantly, but Roman said he was still thinking about her. Truth be told, she hoped he'd reach out to her yesterday of all days, since it was his birthday and it would have been his first birthday that they'd spent together after he'd gone all out for her birthday in February. She'd foolishly bought him a present and when he didn't contact her, she'd gone to bed miserable. She knew contact went both ways, but Kate feared that if she called him, Packie and Gerry might find out and she could never be too sure what they'd do to him, even though at their last meeting, they'd tried to extend the olive branch.

Before she could make a decision, her phone started vibrating. She looked down and saw Niko's name as the caller ID. She still hadn't deleted those damned heart emojis. Lying back down on her pillow and taking a deep breath, she answered.

"Hey," she broke the silence.

"Hi." He'd been drinking a lot. She could tell; his voice was hoarse and tired.

"Are you drunk right now?"

A few minutes passed in silence, and then: "Yesterday was my birthday."

_Are you in fucking first grade? _"I know."

"You weren't there."

"I know."

More silence.

"Niko, it's 2:30 in the morning, what do you want?"

"It's 2:30 in the morning and I don't know anyone." Kate rolled her eyes; _The Sting _was one of Roman's favorite movies. He watched it all the time and she recognized the quote instantly.

"I don't even know who I am, Kate."

"Did you ever?"

Niko sighed. She read him like a book. "No."

They fell silent again. 

"I need you, Kate," he finally said, his voice raised a little from its hoarse whisper.

"Are you sure? Roman tells me you've made quite the romp through the women of Liberty City in the past month." She couldn't help herself. She wanted him back, but he hurt her.

"I had a foursome just now."

"Lucky you."

"I've had sex nine times this week."

"Thanks for sharing." Why the hell was he telling her this? To gloat?

"You're not innocent either." 

Kate's face went pale. She'd started seeing a man that worked at the community center. It was casual; they'd gone on a few lunch dates and coffee dates. It wasn't serious. Her question was: how did Niko find out? Usually, the culprit was Roman, but she hadn't told him or Mallorie.

"Who is he, Katie?" As he asked the question, Niko felt embarrassed. He never got jealous. He found jealousy a foolish emotion for teenage boys. So why was he jealous of another man seeing Kate? What made her so different? 

"No one you know," Kate replied curtly.

"I could've told you that. He ain't me."

Any other man, she would have been turned off by the subtle bragging, but he was right. She hadn't found a man in her past or her present that loved her like Niko did.

"Do you miss me or my body?" she lowered her voice to a whisper, her hand on her stomach. She didn't know which she wanted him to say he missed more.

"Both."

She sighed, hearing the hurt in his voice. He passed the test. 

"Katherine..." her heart melted when he called her by her full name. No one did that besides her mother. "Please..."

Kate stayed silent. She didn't want to give in easily. 

"Kate, I don't have anything to believe in. They gave me too many drinks."

"Who's 'they'?"

"Everyone."

She shook her head. "Niko, you're wasted as fuck."

"I have to be. Is only thing that helps me forget you."

Kate exhaled and closed her eyes. He was a killer and a cheater. _Why_ did she want him back so badly? He kept talking.

"What do I have to do, Kate?" A chill went down her spine; his voice was that low, almost raspy voice that turned her on. "I'll do anything, even if you want me to stay away."

_Yes. Stay the fuck away from me, you murderer. _ That's what Kate wanted to say, but she couldn't. She wanted him next to her, touching her. She figured her craving was due to being so close to her period, but she really did need and want him. She almost felt his "she's coming around" smile on the other end.

"What are you wearing?" came his small, barely audible whisper.

"Just my nightgown."

Silence. "Are those bitches you're with any good, Niko?"

"Kept seeing your fucking face every time they kissed me."

She sighed. She wasn't expecting that answer. She turned to the wall, the phone still pressed to her ear. She liked that her bed was against the wall. She felt closed off to the outside world when she slept, just the way she liked it. And now, it felt like it was just her and him. 

"I miss you..." she whispered.

"Take me back." Another chill. That sexy begging-demand combo in a low voice was hard to resist. She sighed. 

"I can't, Niko..."

"Why the fuck not?"

She sighed again, picking her words. "Because you aren't going to change. You'll always be a killer, you killed my brother, no one likes our relationship--"

"Do _you_ like our relationship?"

Kate really wished he'd shut the fuck up. 

"I love you." 

_Fuck. _There it was. She heard the pain in his voice. Her resolve was getting thin, but she still found the desire to lie.

"I'm seeing someone else, Niko, since you apparently know that."

"You picked up, Kate. So he must not be around."

She sighed. He was right.

"I am back to who I was before I met you and I hate it. _Ti si moj dom,_ Kate."

She closed her eyes. _You are my home. _He'd only admitted that to her once or twice. 

"I need you too, Niko..." she whispered.

"I'm coming over."

"My brothers are home."

"Don't care." He hung up and she heard the dial tone. She stared up at the ceiling. She had just dug herself into a heaping pile of shit. Taking him back meant potentially becoming roped into the criminal lifestyle again and losing him. Not taking him back meant...losing him, but in every sense of the phrase. He couldn't be coming over, not now. He was drunk and with a bunch of women. Kate thought nothing of it and went back to sleep.

* * *

A half hour later was when Kate regretted being a light sleeper. She heard a tapping on her window that made her slowly open her eyes. She almost screamed, thinking it was Packie and Gerry playing an early Halloween prank on her, but as her eyes adjusted, she saw that the figure wasn't a ghost, but her ex-boyfriend. Niko was on the ladder, his beady brown eyes staring daggers at her through the glass, resting his head against the brown wall of the house, dressed in his Happiness Island sweater and brown leather jacket that he had worn when he had first arrived in Liberty City. 

Niko felt like _he _was seeing a ghost. He and Kate locked eyes and her emerald greens smoldered. She looked like a siren or a mermaid. Her red hair was down, out of its usual ponytail. He tried not to make it obvious, but his eyes wandered down over her curves, emphasized by her silk nightie. But she knew he was looking at her body. And she wanted him to; she hadn't seen him in so long, she almost wanted to beg him to do whatever he wanted. 

Kate tried to stay strong as she reluctantly got up and made her way to the window and opened it, letting the cold air in. Niko almost didn't believe it was real. After a month of being apart, they were finally in front of each other again. He looked and smelled awful. It was clear he hadn't shaved in a few days. Niko had watched enough movies to know that his next move should be to take her into his arms and kiss her passionately, but he didn't make a move, wanting to respect her and knowing she'd push him away. Kate broke the silence first.

"How'd you get here?" She wanted to make sure he didn't drink and drive, though he'd done it before.

"Train."

She nodded and stood back so he could climb in. She almost giggled when she saw how much he struggled. Finally, she jumped back as he was able to pull himself through and landed on the floor with a thud. Kate prayed that didn't wake up Packie or Gerry or her mother. He jumped up nonchalantly and smiled at her innocently. Kate kept her arms folded and her eyes locked on his, making his smile fade.

"So a half hour ago, you were crying about how badly you wanted me back and now you're acting all innocent and boyish again?"

Niko shrugged. "It's the first time I have seen you in a month." He kept his voice quiet. Kate took a deep breath.

"Yeah."

Niko didn't want to make another long-winded speech, but at this point, he was willing to do anything to get her back. "Kate...I told you this on the phone, but I'm, how you say, back to square one without you. I'm drinking, I'm fucking, I'm _playing video games,_ I've been..." he took a breath. "Sort of killing..."

"Sort of?"

"More of Pegorino's men, but I was only doing it to keep you safe."

Kate rolled her eyes.

"I'm doing things I never thought I would do, Kate. I'm feeling emotions I swore I would never feel. Like I'm getting _jealous_ of other men seeing you, like fucking what? I've never gotten jealous. Ever. Not even over Roman." He lowered his voice. "You're the first woman besides my mother that I give half a shit about."

Kate wasn't moved. "And you're just now realizing all of this?" Niko exhaled, pressing his lips together and looking off to the side, realizing that he'd failed. "Roman and I look for your name in the obituaries every day. And I don't know about him, but when I don't find it there, I'm relieved, but then I find out you've been sleeping with other women and getting wasted every night and then I hate you. I'm back to square one too, Niko. I'm back to who I was last year: feeling guarded, not wanting a relationship, seeing my therapist constantly...and _you _did that. Like, I don't wanna be one of those people that makes you feel like crap for doing something, but _you_ did that. _You _made me feel jaded and skeptical again when you were _just _starting to wake me up. I don't trust you, Niko." She stared at him pointedly. "I mean, I don't. I can't. How can I trust you? I feel like it's last year again and we're downstairs and Packie is introducing me to yet another one of his gangster friends."

Niko stared at her. It hurt, but she was right. He had no clue what to say. So he just shrugged again, his eyebrows raised. Kate shook her head and threw her hands up.

"See, you're not taking this seriously."

"I _am_ taking this seriously, Kate! I just don't know...I am not good at relationship things. You know this."

"So that gives you an excuse to sleep with other women? I know you're sleeping with your exes. I read the Liberated Woman blog. Even Alex is pissed you're cheating on her."

Niko softened his voice.

"Just give me a chance, Kate. Give _us_ a chance to get back to where we were. It'll take work, but..." Her heart broke and her resolve started to break when she saw his eyes filling. That's how she knew he meant it. Niko never cried. "I don't want to live like this anymore. I know I always say that, but...I meant what I said on the phone. I'm a mess and you gave me stability, something I have wanted all my life. You gave that to me. I meant what I said Kate, you are my home. And no, I don't know why it takes me until I hit rock bottom to realize what people mean to me, but thank God I realized what you mean to me before you were dead. I love you, Kate. I'm _in_ love with you. I've lost too many people in my life. I cannot lose you."

Kate's heart softened. 

"One more chance," Niko pleaded quietly. "and if I fuck up again, we're done."

Kate continued to look into his brown eyes. "Did you really mean what you said about loving me whether we're having sex or not?"

Niko's eyes bored right through her as he nodded. "Of course," he said in that barely audible voice. 

A smile tugged at her lips. "So you didn't get that STD I wished on you?"

He smiled gently. "Nope, I got checked."

Almost involuntarily, Kate moved closer to him with a light smile on her face. "Well...it's kiiiinda still your birthday..."

He smiled as she pushed his leather jacket off his shoulders. With his help, she lifted off his sweater and his white t-shirt underneath. She was shocked at his metabolism; he'd been drinking like a whale for a month, but still had a great body and admittedly, Kate had missed his abs. She ran her hands over the wartime scars on his body, watching his face for any reaction, but just got a cold, pained stare in return. But he let her touch. She moved her hands up to rest on his shoulders and tentatively pressed her lips to his. Niko closed his eyes and took in every sensation. Like Roman's kiss with Mallorie last month, this was the first real kiss Niko had had in a long time. She broke the kiss and pressed his warm body close to hers in a hug.

"You smell like shit."

His chuckle echoed against her body. "So Republicans tell me."

Kate stifled a laugh. "You're such a big nerd." She pressed her lips to his again, making him groan.

"Katie...baby..."

How those two words always made her so wet, she didn't know. It was the way he said them. All she knew was that she had to deepen the kiss to feel all of his mouth and she did exactly that as he ran his hands through her burning red hair. Kate didn't want to stop kissing him, but he needed a shower badly, so she broke the kiss and took both of his hands in hers.

"Come on, we'll shower together."

"Won't someone hear us?"

She shook her head. "They're all asleep."

In the shower, their foreheads pressed together, she took the bar of soap and lathered his scarred body up. Niko fell even more in love with her when her hair met the water and turned a deep shade of scarlet. They were content just being like this. They didn't have to kiss or touch. Niko was tired of sex and Kate wasn't totally ready and Niko wanted to prove to her that that was fine by him. She ran her hands over his scars and almost started to cry.

"Who did this to you?" 

He sighed. "War. Literally and figuratively."

She sighed and rested her head against his chest, a tear running down her face. They kissed passionately as they shampooed each other's hair, Kate shampooing Niko's hair with the men's shampoo that she had raided from Packie and Gerry's bathroom. They smiled as they dried each other off and she took his hand and led him back to her room quietly.

Kate put on a pair of panties in case she got her period, took her pill and got on the bed first, reclining on her pillows, before Niko climbed on top of her and the two kissed lovingly. He was an ice cold Slavic killer and ex-soldier and she was a 9-5 Irish receptionist, but in that moment, they felt like two high school kids in love.

Kate traced his stubble as the kiss grew deeper, her tongue drawing circles in his mouth. Niko broke the kiss and looked into her emerald green eyes.

"Tonight?" he whispered.

Kate thought for a little before she nodded.

"Don't ever hurt me like that again." She wasn't warning him, but she kept her voice quiet. Niko looked into her eyes and shook his head and she allowed him to press his lips to hers once more. The kiss got hotter as he put his hands on the hem of her panties, kissing her breasts. Kate sighed, closing her eyes and put her hands on top of his and they pulled them down together. She felt his breath hot on her lips as he adjusted his body on top of hers. But suddenly, he stopped.

"Niko?" she nipped his lips. "I just took my pill..."

Niko hovered above her looking nervous. Finally, he closed his eyes and shook his head.

"I can't..."

Kate looked shocked. "W...why not?"

"Because you are waiting until you are married. And we just got back together. It wouldn't be right."

Kate looked down. She was disappointed, but knew he was right, so she nodded, swallowing. But what he said next perked her up. 

"We are almost there."

She looked at him and smiled. "What, are you finally gonna marry me?"

"Maybe, if you are nice to me." He smiled. 

"Oh Niko, I'm always nice to you, but until then..." she cupped his cheeks and kissed him. "I hope you had enough sex because you're about to get another dry spell until you make an honest woman out of me."

Niko chuckled. "Believe me, Kate, I'm sick of sex. Meaningless sex, that is."

Kate smiled genuinely and rested her forehead against his. She adjusted her body in the bed so that he was spooning her and pulled the sheets over her and her panties back up. "I'm about to get my period anyway." 

"Your what? Oh right, that thing where you bleed every month..."

Kate giggled and continued to kiss him.

"Um...Roman said he's had period sex. You just need a towel."

She raised an eyebrow at him. "This is Roman we're talking about."

"Fair point."

He spooned her as she looked at the wood of her dresser, content. "Sometimes I hate that you're such a nice guy cause when I wanna be bad, you set me straight again." She smiled gently, nuzzling his stubble.

Niko chuckled. "Oh yeah, I am fucking saint."

"Mmmm St. Nicholas _wishes _he were as sexy as you," she kissed him softly and nuzzled his stubble again, kissing along its length. "I missed this. It's so prickly! I like it!" They smiled against each other's lips and kissed sexily.

"Is that why your mother calls me Nicholas? I think she likes me. As in LIKE likes me."

Kate giggled. "No, Ma just wants me to get married and move out."

"Packie still lives here, though..."

"Oh Niko...you still have a lot to learn about American double standards."

They kept kissing for a few minutes longer, Niko not able to get enough of how good it felt to taste her again, when suddenly, Kate felt something warm in her nether regions. She reluctantly broke the kiss, rolling her eyes.

"Shit, there it is...be right back."

Niko chuckled as she got out of bed. A few minutes later, she returned and they spooned again, actually trying to fall asleep this time. Finally, Niko broke the silence and woke her up again.

"Kate?"

"Yeah?"

"Do periods hurt?"

She had to hold back a laugh. "Sometimes. I mean, sometimes you get cramps. I used to get bad ones when I was younger."

"...Why do you get cramps?"

"I don't know. I heard the uterus sheds or whatever."

"Sheds? What does that mean, 'sheds'?"

"Niko, I don't know, I'm not an OBGYN, Jesus. We get back together and _this_ is the shit you ask me?"

"Well you're a woman, you're supposed to know this stuff. Mallorie knows all about it."

"Well, Mallorie's kind of a know-it-all. Me, I just wait for it to be over. Five more days, man."

Niko wasn't satisfied. "So...the blood...does it spray?"

"What?"

"I mean, does it come out in like a stream, like turning on a faucet, or...like a sprinkler?"

"I don't know, Niko. You're the expert at being covered in blood. You of all people should know," she smirked, making Niko chuckle.

"That was a low blow," he tickled her, making her quietly squeal and giggle.

They settled back into sleep.

"So it just comes out, huh?"

"Niko, have you ever seen _Varsity Blues?"_

"Like once. Why?"

"You are the damn dumbest smart kid I know." 


	10. A Double Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Got the inspiration for this chapter from Coyote Ugly. If you haven't seen it, don't worry; you aren't missing much. I'm sorry if this chapter doesn't make much sense. I just wanted to explore the concept of Kate being more of a bad girl.
> 
> Btw, if you’re looking for my Tumblr to give me feedback, I moved to spookybellics :)
> 
> The drinking game between Kate and Roman is based on this scene from Varsity Blues: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdxaVT8O71M
> 
> I always picture Niko and Roman's secret handshake to be Ned and Peter's secret handshake from Spider-Man: Homecoming/Far From Home, LOL

Kate's alarm went off at seven the next morning, making Niko groan and bury his face into her back, kissing it. Kate didn't move immediately either, except to turn off her alarm. She turned it off and buried herself in the warm sheets and smiled softly, pressing against his chest, her eyes still closed, feeling his soft, warm kisses as she nuzzled his stubble sleepily and kissed it softly. 

"What day is it?" he mumbled softly.

Kate groaned, but it was a groan of satisfaction and contentment. "Mmm...Friday."

Niko pressed his head harder against her back, reaching around and intertwining his hand with hers. "So why you getting up?"

"I have a job, Niko. You have one too."

"I do? Shit..."

To control her laughter, Kate buried her face in her pillow, making Niko smile as he watched her. She turned to him and nuzzled his nose with hers and pecked him before getting up and starting to get ready for her day. Niko reclined in bed and watched her as she stood in front of the mirror just in her panties and put her hair in its usual ponytail. He looked around and found a basket by her bed with a bunch of old teen magazines in it. He picked one up and read the cover headline in an exaggerated, dramatic voice.

"Exclusive! Chloe Parker's Ruby-Stuffed Tits! How Much Are They Worth?" He put the magazine away and looked back up at his girlfriend.

Kate giggled and smiled to herself as she felt his eyes on her. She had missed the way he looked at her like she was the only girl in the room and the world. She heard him sigh sadly as she put a bra on, covering her breasts and smiled and made her way back to him, giggling and pecking his lips.

"Mr. Hopeless Romantic."

"I can't help it, you have nice titties."

"Okay, Roman, that'll do," they both giggled as she got back into bed next to him and rested her head on his arm.

"Why you going to work on a Friday? That's so lame. That is what losers do and I do not date losers!" he pointed at her and chuckled. She laughed and shook her head and smiled.

"Well too bad, because this loser loves you," she cupped his cheek and kissed him. "oh! I almost forgot!" She scrambled out of bed and started to dig around in a shopping bag across the room. She finally found what she was looking for: a brown and black shoe box. She walked back over to the bed and sat down, smiling and handing the box to Niko.

"Happy birthday, honey."

Niko half smiled, looking at the box, then at Kate. "You bought me shoes?"

"Well...not exactly. After you got me the bracelet on our last date, I thought it'd be nice to have something made for you. And then of course, we broke up and I didn't think I'd get to give it to you...well, open it!"

Niko smiled and took off the lid and unfolded all the tissue paper inside to reveal a sterling silver watch. In the centerpiece was a photo Mallorie had taken at hers and Roman's Christmas party last year of Niko leaning over a seated Kate, her hand cupping his cheek. Both were smiling. Niko was wearing a red shirt and green tie and black slacks, while Kate was in a red spaghetti-strapped dress. A smile came over Niko's face as he looked at the watch in awe.

"Wow..."

As much as he didn't want them to, tears started to gently run down his cheeks. Kate wiped them away, looking concerned.

"Niko, what's wrong?"

Niko laughed nervously. "Sorry...is just...I have never really gotten presents for my birthday or Christmas. I mean, Roman and our mothers would get me things, but they were never this nice..."

Kate smiled and hugged him. 

"Thank you," he smiled. Kate smiled and kissed him.

"You're very welcome. Put it on!"

Niko smiled excitedly and slipped the watch onto his arm. "Wow...Brucie wishes he had this much, how you say, bling!"

Kate laughed and they started to make out gently until Niko broke the kiss and winced, pressing his fingers to his temples. Kate looked at him knowingly.

"Hangover kicking in?"

"Mmmhmm," he groaned in pain.

Kate quickly got dressed in a green flowery blouse and jeans and tossed Niko his white t-shirt and jeans from the night before. 

"Come on, get dressed. Ma has Advil in the kitchen."

Niko did as instructed and followed Kate downstairs through the newly renovated dining room to the kitchen. She almost stopped when she saw Gerry leaning against the counter drinking coffee, but she tried to remain casual.

"Morning, Gerry." Kate walked over to the medicine cabinet.

"Good mooorningggg," Gerry smirked. Kate slammed a bottle of pills on the counter, smiling and shaking her head, laughing slightly.

"Shut uppp."

Gerry laughed and slapped hands with Niko. "Knew you couldn't stay away from Irish pussy for very long."

Kate rolled her eyes. "We didn't do it, Gerald."

"Yeah, it's her...time of the month. Red Time," Niko winked.

"Wow, I did NOT need to know that," Gerry took a sip of coffee.

Kate stared at Niko with an eyebrow raised. "Red Time?"

Niko shrugged. "Blood is red, isn't it?"

She shook her head and walked over to him. "Oh you," she kissed him and handed him two Advils and a glass of water. "here, take these." She turned to her brother. "Look, Gerald, Niko spent the night, so if you tell Ma or Packie, I'll kill you personally."

Gerry ignored his little sister's warning. "And you _ didn't _have sex?"

"No. I climbed in at 3 a.m. because I was...lonely." Gerry was one of Niko's best friends, but even he didn't need to hear the full story.

"Ahhh, mutual masturbation," Gerry nodded and took a sip of coffee.

"Gerry..." Kate said, annoyed. "I can't do that if I'm on my period, you stupid ass," she laughed, putting the pills away.

"Stop saying you're on your period!"

"I'm on my period."

"Gahhhhhh!!!"

Kate laughed and checked her phone.

"Shoot, I'm late for work. Bye, baby," she kissed Niko's cheek.

"Have a good day. Hey remember, Bernie is throwing an engagement party for Roman and Mallorie at his place at eight. Is like...formal and stuff, so wear a dress."

Kate stopped. She'd forgotten about that. Turning around slowly, she said, "Oh...yeah...uhhh...I don't know if I can come. I have work."

Niko raised an eyebrow. "At 8:00 on a Friday night?"

"Yeah! Remember? We have movie nights for the kids at the community center on Friday nights."

"Oh...right."

"But I'll try to ask Nancy and Robin if I can get out of it.”

“No, don’t. If you’re working, don’t worry about it.”

Kate shrugged. “It’s not a big deal. I love the kids, but Roman and Mallorie will be my cousins-in-law someday. And besides," she smirked as she got up close to him. "Mallorie and I get to see you and Roman in tuxedos and that’s always a plus,” she kissed his cheek softly. “see you later, guys." She smiled and left, leaving Niko and Gerry to look at each other and shrug.

Kate sighed as she closed the front door. Lying was a sin. Her mother would be ashamed of her, but she'd be even more ashamed if she knew what she was doing for work on the side.

* * *

What Niko didn't know was that while the past month had been hell for him emotionally, it had been hell for Kate financially. Maureen was getting older and that meant her medical bills were getting higher. Her pain medication was the biggest drain, among other things, on hers and Packie's bankroll. Packie's issue was that he had too much of a criminal record to get hired anywhere besides Roman's cab depot and he didn't take many fares, so he couldn't be of much help and his money from the Bank of Liberty job was quickly running out. Gerry did some fares, but his criminal record made it hard for him to get work too. Francis just didn't care about his family at all and Derrick was dead. That put all of the responsibility on Kate. Her job at the community center made her good money and she liked it, but it didn't cover nearly enough of Maureen's medical bills. She started looking for a second part-time job. When even the movie theater in Dukes that she had loved going to as a kid turned her down, she started looking for work in seedier places. She came from an Irish family, so she knew a bit about pouring drinks. The problem was, her brothers and mother would easily find out if she started working at Steinway Beer Garden thanks to the McReary connections. So she started to look in Algonquin. Finding nothing, she became dismayed until she saw a "Now Hiring" sign on the windows of the Superstar Cafe.

"Girl with bartending experience needed," the sign read. "show up on Friday night at 9 for an audition."

Niko had taken Kate to the Superstar Cafe a few times. She thought it was too fancy, but they had good food and her and Niko liked to dance to the live bands that played there on weeknights and make out on the couches on the second floor. What she didn't know when she went in there looking for work is that on Friday and Saturday nights, the bar was packed as girls danced on the bar and served drinks. Kate had found this out that cold Friday night after telling Niko she couldn't go out with him under the guise of work. Really, she wanted to go look for work, so she figured that she wasn't totally lying. She took the subway to Algonquin and took a cab to the Superstar and went inside and almost couldn't believe what she saw.

First of all, she could barely get in; there was a huge line that went around the block and all she wanted was a bite to eat and maybe she'd ask a manager about the job. When she finally got in, all of the tables were taken, including the ones upstairs. In fact, the place was packed and loud when it was usually almost empty. Everyone in the bar was raising their beer bottles and glasses up towards the bar, so Kate directed her attention there and her eyes widened even further. On the bar, three girls in tank tops were being splashed with water. When they weren't dancing, they were serving drinks to the hundreds of people crowding around the bar. One person asked for water. Kate figured this out because one of the girls took a huge megaphone and addressed the crowd.

"HEY EVERYBODY, DO WE SERVE WATER AT THIS BAR??"

"HELL NO, H2O!" The crowd chanted back over and over again as the waitress sprayed the customer with water. Kate grimaced. Was she _ really _ willing to stoop this low? She didn't want her mother to die, however, so she mustered up all her confidence and strode up to the bar. 

Almost immediately, the blonde head waitress, whom Kate guessed was the manager, shouted at her.

"SEE YOU HAVE THE PAPER. YOU WANT THE JOB?"

Kate just stared at her. "Uh..."

"GET BEHIND HERE!"

"WHAT??"

"GET BEHIND HERE AND SHOW OFF THAT BODY OF YOURS!" She opened up the bar door and pulled Kate in, stripping her of her blouse, leaving her in her black camisole. 

"GET ON THE BAR!!"

"WHAT??"

"GET. ON. THE BAR!!"

Kate did as she was told and was immediately hit with a cascade of water. It was so cold that it forced her to move her body. She'd never thought that she was that great of a dancer, but apparently, spilling cold water on her gave her the moves and once she started pouring drinks, her confidence grew and she fit right in.

She made $300 that night, enough to cover her mother's pain medicine and sleeping pills for that week. She also got the job. She'd be known as Ireland, appearing with the other girls every Friday and Saturday night. She celebrated by having a few drinks with her new friends and then going over to the Middle Park East apartment, crawling into Niko's bed and sucking him off. Luckily for her, he didn't like asking questions other than "what are you so happy about?" in his sexy voice, to which she just replied that she was happy to see him and that she felt bad for blowing him off earlier that night.

* * *

Once all the kids were settled in and watching the movie at the community center in Dukes, Kate slipped into the bathroom. Earlier that day on her lunch break, she'd gone home when she knew her mother would be down for her nap and Packie and Gerry would be gone or in their rooms and gotten her change of clothes for work that night. Unfortunately for her, the Dukes community center was having a joint movie night with the kids from the South Bohan community center, which meant that Mallorie was there and of course, the Puerto Rican woman saw her best friend slip into the bathroom. Mallorie noticed everything and that included Kate's strange behavior as of late. She'd been turning down dates with Niko, shopping dates with her and double dates with her and Roman. She had to get to the bottom of what was happening.

Mallorie snuck out too and went into the bathroom.

"Kate?"

"Uh...I'm not here!" Kate called from inside one of the stalls.

Mallorie rolled her eyes. "Nice try, Roman."

Kate sighed and pressed her head against the stall door. She ideally didn't want to tell anyone about her double life, but figured that if there was anyone that her secret was safe with, it would be Mallorie. 

Kate finished getting ready, but put her jacket on, zipping it up, and came out to face Mallorie, who immediately saw her sad face and hugged her.

"Katie, what's goin' on, hun? You've been acting really weird lately."

Kate sighed and threw her head back, closing her eyes. This was the point of no return.

"Mal, PLEASE don't tell Niko about this. Promise?"

Mallorie frowned slightly, but obliged. "Promise."

Kate sighed and revealed what she was wearing under her jacket: her black Superstar Cafe tank top uniform that showed off her breasts and cleavage more than any other outfit she had. Mallorie's eyes widened.

"Kate, are you _ crazy _? You know better than to whore yourself out like that! Can you even bartend?"

"I'm Irish, of course I can bartend. It's just a side gig on Friday and Saturday nights to get money to afford Ma's pills and stuff."

"But ugh, Kate...those waitresses are sluts. Why didn't you come see me and Roman if you needed work? Roman would've hooked you up, you know he would have."

Kate placed both of her hands on the sink. "Because he'll tell Niko and Niko will bend over backwards to give me money. I want to prove to him and to my family that I can make my own money."

"There are better ways to do it, Kate."

The Irish redhead sighed. "I know and I know Roman would have given me a job, but...I was desperate and I didn't want anyone to know Ma needed more help."

The Puerto Rican woman lowered her voice. "Do your brothers know? Does your mother know?"

Kate shook her head. Mallorie sighed. Kate's confidence grew back a little.

"Mal, I've made more money at the Superstar in one night than I ever have at the community center. And it's...kind of fun. I mean, when I first started, I couldn't dance to save my life and now, I just go crazy on the bar. And my boss says I'm a good bartender too."

Mallorie frowned, knowing she was going against her better judgement.

"Mal, you're from Bohan. You know how hard it is to get by and make money. That's why I'm telling you this because you know how this feels more than anyone. _ Please _don't tell Niko or Roman."

Mallorie thought for a bit longer. "Okay,” she smiled half-heartedly and hugged her best friend, looking down at the sink sadly. It’d hurt like hell to keep this from Niko and he'd find out eventually, but Kate had sworn her to secrecy and she knew not to break girl code.

* * *

Roman, Niko, Brucie and Little Jacob were getting a bite to eat before the party at the Cluckin' Bell in Dukes.

"Cousin, you've been in this country for a year and you still do not know the proper way to eat a Fowl Burger. So, I am going to show you," Roman picked up his Fowl Burger and took a long sniff.

"Awwwwww yeahhhhhhhhh, cousin...smell that chicken. Go on, smell it!" Roman held the burger up to Niko's nose. Niko sniffed it reluctantly.

"Smells like chicken."

"Exactly! Niko, you need to treat these burgers as you would a woman. Hold them tight. _ Cherish _ them. _ Woo _them. Take the bun--aka the top--off and feel the warm, succulent titty..."

Niko arched an eyebrow, amused and looked at his cousin fondling the piece of meat suggestively.

"Mmm-hmm-hmm, you have candles lit, rose petals on the bed and this pretty little thing shows up in a sexy little red cocktail dress and you just..." he did a little dance, thrusting his hips as if he were having sex, making Niko smile and shake his head.

"So you get the hot bitch naked like this," he took off the buns, lettuce, onions and tomatoes and held the chicken patty in his hands. "then you touch her a little more..." He moved his hands all around the piece of meat. "Sweet talk her a little...ohhh yeah baby, you are so sexy...and finally, the time is right, so you are ready to take a bite out of this beautiful woman..."

He opened his mouth and was ready to take a bite when all of a sudden, he was hit smack dab in the eye with a mound of cole slaw. He narrowed his good eye and looked at Brucie and Little Jacob, who were snickering and pointing at him. If it were anyone else, Niko would've threatened to kill the cole slaw thrower, but since it was Roman, he laughed right along with Brucie and Little Jacob.

"Hey! This is an art form!"

"Roman, you were molesting a chicken patty," Niko laughed.

"Whatever. But now you know the proper way to eat a Fowl Burger," Roman wiped the cole slaw off of his eye.

"Hooray," Niko said sarcastically. 

Roman got all of the cole slaw off of his eye and shot his napkin like a basketball into the trash can on the other side of Brucie and Little Jacob's table. It hit the rim and fell on the floor. Roman let out a low whistle.

"So, where is your Irish virgin? Is she coming to the party tonight?"

Niko shrugged, cutting into his biscuit. "She said she has work."

Roman raised an eyebrow. "At 8:00 on a Friday night?"

"Movie night for the little ones at the community center."

"Ah, right. Mallorie told me about that."

"Hey guys!"

At that moment, Mallorie came running up to the gang, sitting on Roman's lap and putting an arm around him. Roman greeted her and smiled as they started to kiss. Niko smiled a little but still felt alone; even though he was back with Kate, it still felt like the old days when he would third-wheel Roman and Mallorie when they invited him to dinner and such.

Mallorie finally diverted her attention from her fiancé and addressed Niko.

"Hey Niko. Sorry you'll have to come to our party stag," her and Roman giggled.

"Is all right. Kate said she would try and come."

"I just saw her at the community center, I...don't know if she can," she fibbed and immediately felt bad when Niko said "oh" and looked down. She quickly changed the subject, looking back at Roman. "Come on, Papi, we gotta go get ready. I wanna see you in a tux so I can think about doing nasty things to you in it." She ran her hands down Roman's body and they both giggled deliciously against each other's lips.

"Words of a changed couple right there," Niko pointed at them with his burger and took a bite.

"Awww come on, Niko! He can treat me like a piece of ass every once in a while!" Mallorie continued giggling against Roman's lips and rubbing her nose with his. Niko, Brucie and Little Jacob all shook their heads at one another. Finally, Roman nodded at the guys, starting to get up.

"Come on, boys."

"Time to preen like a peacock??" Brucie's face lit up.

"Uhhh...yeah. Sure, Brucie."

* * *

At Bernie's apartment, everyone was dressed to the nines as gay male servers walked around with dishes of champagne. One walked up to Niko and Roman.

"Can I interest you gentlemen in some champagne?" He offered them the dish covered with tiny glasses.

"Uh...thanks," Roman and Niko both took a glass and both Serbs watched the server walk away.

"Jesus...Florian really went all out for this, eh?" Roman mused.

"Anything to show off how gay he is," Niko sipped his champagne and grimaced at its bitterness. Brucie came over to them, shaking.

"Hey guys, I gotta go. Not to be homophobic, but this party is too gay for Brucie."

"Brucie, that's...the literal definition of homophobia," Niko pointed out.

"And stop referring to yourself in third person!" Roman added.

"No! You know what? I'm gonna keep doing it! Brucies loves pussy! Adios, amigos!" He left.

"He could do with an epiphany or 500," Niko said, making Roman nod. Both sipped their champagne as Packie walked up to them.

"Hey guys."

"Hey," both Serbs said as Packie slapped hands with Niko and sipped his champagne.

"Nice tux, man," Niko chuckled, indicating Packie's tuxedo with ruffles on his shirt.

"Hey, my ma had to dig around in my closet for an hour to find this thing! I haven't worn it since my high school prom!"

Niko and Roman laughed.

"Aww, his mommy had to dress him!" Roman said with a pouty face and laughed with Niko.

"And he went to promm!" Niko added, pouting as well.

"Yeah, who was your date? Your mother?" Roman and Niko laughed again. 

"Hey, shut the fuck up! So are we the only straight guys at this party?"

"Ask him," Roman pointed to Bernie, who was fast approaching, waving his arms around as usual.

"Hiiiiiiiii guys!!!" he hugged both Niko and Roman. "Roman, are you enjoying your engagement party???"

Roman looked around and nodded with raised eyebrows. "It's uh...nice, Bern. Thank you."

"Oh, don't mention it! Anything for my two oldest friends! Well...one oldest, since this isn't Niko's engagement party," he giggled.

"Salt in the wound..." Niko mumbled and took a sip of champagne.

"Do you have a speech prepared, Roman?"

"Speech? Uhhh, I...wasn't aware I had to make one."

"You're the groom! You and Mallorie MUST make a speech! Everyone knows that!"

Roman forced a smile. "Well, Florian, as with literally every-fucking-thing else you say, that is news to me." Niko and Packie stifled a laugh. Bernie ignored both of them.

"Well hurry up and prepare it!!" Bernie scurried off to mingle with some guests and some of the gay servers. Packie stared after him in shock.

"That was horrifying. So anyway, where's my sister? Thought for sure she'd wanna see you in a tux, Niko."

He shrugged. "She said she has work."

"Right. Movie night. Well hey, plenty of beautiful chicks here! Speaking of which..."

Niko and Roman followed Packie's eyes and smile to Mallorie, approaching in a beautiful satin burgundy dress. She smiled at them as she took Roman's extended hand in hers. 

"Hello, beautiful," Roman kissed her hand.

"Hi sweetheart!" she pecked her fiancé on the lips. "Bernie wants us to make a speech, come on!" She took his hand and led him to the front of the living room, Roman rolling his eyes at Niko and Packie, who smiled.

Bernie tapped his glass with a spoon. "Attention, everyoneeee!" he said in his sing-song voice. "now, we are all here to celebrate my best friend Roman Bellic" (Roman raised an eyebrow at this) "and his fiancée, Mallorie Bardas!"

Everyone clapped, but remained silent.

"Roman has a few words he'd like to say!"

Niko half smiled at Roman sweating; for all of his charisma, his cousin was never a good public speaker. Then again, neither was he.

"Uh...well...thank you all for coming and thank you, Bernie for hosting this for us, it's very nice. Uh...enjoy!" 

He rejoined Niko and Packie, who laughed at him.

"Great speech, Rom. Thought I was watching Churchill up there," Niko teased and he and Packie pounded fists and laughed.

"What was I supposed to say? 'I hate this party and I want to leave'?"

"Honesty is the best policy," Niko pointed out before taking a sip of champagne.

Mallorie came back over and her, Packie, Niko and Roman started chatting again when Niko's phone went off with a text. He pulled out his phone and his eyes widened and his jaw dropped when he saw the text. It was from Brucie.

_ "Hey NB, at Superstar rn scopin' out the chicks and ain't this your girl??" _Attached was a video of Kate in a revealing Superstar Cafe tank top dancing on the bar. Niko lowered the volume and played it and his horror grew. 

"I've got to go," he said to his friends, quickly shoving his phone in his pocket.

"Cousin, what's wrong?" Roman looked concerned.

"Nothing. Something's come up. I have to go," he ran past everyone out of the apartment, Roman, Mallorie and Packie looking on in shock. Packie quickly shrugged it off and put his arm around Roman.

"Listen, I'll call Gerry. We'll make this lame ass party cool in no time."

* * *

The whole ride to the cafe, Niko's heart pounded. What the _ hell _was she doing?? He hoped she was just drunk and having a good time. He'd heard that the Superstar got wild on Friday and Saturday nights and one of its main attractions was the gorgeous women who danced on the bar and served drinks. He was praying like hell that wasn't her. The last thing he needed after just getting back together was for her to think that he wanted her to be that girl.

It seemed like an eternity, but it was really only a few short blocks to the Superstar. Niko parked quickly, not even caring if he parallel parked correctly, and threw off his suit jacket and bow tie; he wasn't vain, but figured he'd look like an idiot running into a bar in a tuxedo. Locking his car, he ran in.

The bar was packed, more packed than he'd ever seen it. Not a square inch of space was available for him to walk on. Not that he could, anyway, because he ran up to the door so fast that the bouncer stopped him, putting his hands on him and holding him back.

"Whoa whoa whoa, pal, you got an ID?"

"I'm here to see Kate McReary!" Niko shouted over the blaring music. The bouncer smiled.

"Oh, Ireland? She's on the bar, man!"

Niko was in shock. "Kate McReary? _ My _Kate McReary?" He looked up and sure enough, there was Kate on the bar, suggestively dancing her heart out while the other waitresses dumped pitchers of water on her. Niko's face slowly turned from a look of horror into a look of rage. He burst past the bouncer.

"Whoa, whoa, hey pal!" the bouncer called out, but Niko was too far gone as he stormed past the throng of people, finally reaching the bar and grabbing a hold of Kate's leg and trying to pull her down.

"KATE! GET DOWN FROM THERE!"

"Niko??? What the f--ahhhhh!!!"

She screamed as Niko was able to pull her off as the entire population of the bar tried to pull him off of her. Once she was on the ground, he grabbed her hand and dragged her out of the bar, ignoring boos, taunts, Kate's cries of "Niko, what are you doing??? Stop!!!" and beer bottles pelting him in the back and temples. They finally got outside and he dragged her into an alleyway behind the cafe, but it was Kate who broke the silence, crying hysterically and drenched in water.

"Jesus Christ, Niko, what the fuck is wrong with you????" she shouted.

"I should ask you that question!" Niko yelled back. "What the hell were you doing??"

"Working!"

A look of realization came upon the Serb's face. "So this is the 'work' you've been blowing off our dates for on Friday nights?"

Kate sighed and threw her hands out to the side. She'd been caught. "Yeah."

"And that's how you were able to afford my birthday present," he said softly.

Kate's heart broke at seeing the hurt on his face. She nodded. "Yeah."

Niko looked as if he was struggling to find the words to say. "Why?"

Kate closed her eyes, knowing and not looking forward to his response to what she was going to say. "Because my job at the community center wasn't covering Ma's medical bills, so I had to get something part-time." 

"But...here? This?" he pointed at the building. "why didn't you come to Roman? He would have given you a job, you know he would have."

"Because I knew he'd tell you and I wanted to prove to you and to my family that I can make my own money."

"...Kate, you literally have a full time job."

"Well, then I wanted to do something else with my life other than answer phones and schedule meetings, I don't fucking know, Niko!" 

He let it go and moved on. "Why didn't you tell me?" he asked quietly.

"Because I knew that this was how you'd react!"

"How am I supposed to react when my girlfriend is on a bar dancing in a slutty outfit with all these strange men grabbing at her?"

"Okay, I admit it's not...the best way to make money, but Niko, before you showed up and caused a scene, I was about to make $500. $500! In one night! That's more money than I ever see in one week at the community center."

Niko wanted to complain about that, but realized he'd be a hypocrite if he did so, since he made more than that from his days as a hired gun. Instead, he addressed her in a quiet voice.

"Kate, last night you said you couldn't trust me. How am I supposed to find you doing this trustworthy?"

"I'm not gonna sleep with any of these guys, Niko! Midge says to look available but never _ be _available."

"Who the fuck is Midge?"

"My boss."

Niko sighed deeply. "Kate...I can't tell you how to make your own money, but...you need to _ tell _me about things like this! And tell me if you need money! My cousin is literally an employer! You don't have to feel embarrassed!"

She shook her head and sighed, looking off to the side and saying nothing. Niko gave up, knowing this was pointless.

"Look, if it means that much to you, I'll quit."

"No, don't. You are happy and that's fine. I have to go back to the party. You coming?"

"I have work." She barely looked at him. Niko just nodded and left, leaving Kate standing in the alleyway. She wiped away a few tears before going back inside.

* * *

Niko wasn't too thrilled about going back to Bernie's stuffy, formal party, especially not after what just happened, but when he got up to the Serb's floor, he heard loud voices and music coming from his apartment. He sighed; he wasn't in the mood for a formal party and he _ definitely _wasn't in the mood for a wild party.

Niko entered slowly and his eyes widened; this was NOT the party he left. Everyone had shed their formal clothes--the men only in their shirts or tank tops/t-shirts and the women having changed out of their dresses into casual clothes--and everyone was drinking, talking, or making out. The rock music blared from Bernie's surround sound system. Bernie himself came running up to him, waving his arms around and panicking.

"Niko! Niko! Help me! They ruined my elegant party!!! Look at this mess..."

Niko couldn't stop laughing. "Actually, Bernie, I think they made it a lot better! ...Who's they?"

"Those stupid Irish guys you hang out with!"

Niko laughed again. "Packie and Gerry?"

"I don't know what their names are! The bald one works with us at the depot. They RUINED EVERYTHING!!!" He ran away crying as Niko made his way into the party, eventually meeting up with Packie, who was drinking a Guinness and who handed him one.

"Hey."

"Hey."

They clinked bottles and took a swig of beer. 

"What the hell happened, Niko boy? Where'd you go?"

"Ah...Kate...left her phone in my car. Had to bring it back to her."

"Oh..." Niko internally breathed a sigh of relief as Packie nodded. "So you two are back on, huh?"

"Yeah, we worked it out. I just have to get her to trust me again."

"Won't be easy. Especially for someone like you. No offense."

"No doubt. None taken."

"NIKOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

"Heeey, Gerry!"

The taller Irishman put the shorter Serb in a headlock and gave him a noogie. Niko smiled.

"So how did you guys, how you say, pull the wool over Bernie's eyes?"

"That olll' McReary magic, Niko," Packie held up a box of Lax to the Max. Niko burst out laughing and he and Packie slapped hands and took a long swig of Guinness.

"Hey, where is Roman, by the way?"

* * *

In the master bedroom, Roman and Mallorie tried to ignore the "To Protect and Serve" painting with the gay cops on it above the bed as they got naughty.

"Mmmh....ah...yeahhhh...shiiiiit, Papiiii...I missed thiiis..." Mallorie smiled deliciously and bit her lip as she pressed Roman's head deeper into her pussy. He had succeeded in getting her naked and clad only with his undone bow tie around her neck. He was still in his white shirt and black slacks. 

Mallorie flipped herself on top of him and kissed him seductively, her hair in his face. They made out for a bit until she broke the kiss.

"Romannnn..." they smiled against each other's lips. Mallorie took off his shirt and put it on, leaving him in his tank top and slacks.

"Whaaaat?" he said in his sexy voice.

"So now that we're getting married, I think we should take our sex life to the next level..."

He looked at her. "Oh?"

"Mmhm."

"You're not going to whip me, are you? Because, uhhh...had experience with that, and...is not fun."

She giggled. "No, silly!" She reached into her purse on the floor and pulled out a small red book and pressed it to his chest. Roman groaned.

"I have to _ read?" _

"Look at the title," she said quietly, smirking. Roman looked at the title. It read _ Kama Sutra _in gold letters. His eyes widened.

"Mal...the Bible?"

She smiled and nodded. "Mmhm! Sooo I was thinkin..." she took off his shirt slowly to reveal her full breasts. "We could have a night at your place where we...light some candles and put some music on and...try some positions..."

Roman chuckled. "Mhmhmhmmm yeahhhh..." and they started to make out again.

* * *

An hour later, they were both sated and they both met up with Niko and Packie and Little Jacob. While they were chatting, the door to the apartment opened and in walked Kate. Her jacket covered her uniform. She was glad she hadn't gone home to change into a dress because it looked like the party wasn't formal anymore. Loud music blared and everyone was drinking and had shed most of their formal attire.

Packie and Niko drank a beer each--Niko leaning against the wall--and chatted when Packie nudged Niko and nodded towards Kate. Niko stood straight up and approached her. She looked up at him, unblinking.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"...You want a beer?"

She raised her eyebrows. "You drink beer now?"

He shrugged. "Is not bad."

"Look, can I talk to you? Outside?"

He nodded and followed her outside into the hallway, where she closed the door. But it was Niko who broke the silence.

"So what are you doing here?"

Kate hesitated before answering. "...I quit."

Guilt covered Niko like a wet blanket. "Kate, you didn't have to quit..." he shook his head.

"Well, Midge was gonna fire me anyway thanks to yours truly, so I quit."

Niko sulked. It _was _his fault. How could he have been such an ass? 

"You should have just come to Roman if you needed work, Kate."

"I'm not a good driver..." she mumbled, looking down.

"I would have driven with you!"

She looked up at him. "Does it pay well?"

"You know Roman. He always pays fair and square and if you do a lot of fares, it adds up! Look at me, I do pretty good!"

He almost smiled when he saw that she was considering it. "And you don't even have to work full time! I am sure Roman will be more than happy if you just work weekends. In fact, I think he needs more weekend drivers."

A smile tugged at her lips. "And it pays well?"

"Do a lot of fares and it will," he smiled.

Kate thought for a bit longer. "Then I guess I'll work at Bellic Enterprises!"

Niko nodded confidently and shook her hand. "Glad to have you aboard. Let's go celebrate."

Kate looked down her jacket at her uniform. "Should I change?"

"No, I don't think so. People here have the IQ of starfish. Plus, it's hot inside and you look hot in it," she giggled as she took off her jacket and he kissed her shoulder as they went back inside. Immediately, Bernie ran up to them and pointed an accusatory finger at Kate.

"YOU!"

"Hey Bernie!" Kate smiled innocently.

"YOUR kind did this!"

Kate was incredulous. "My kind did what? I wasn't even here!"

"Your brothers!"

Kate's face turned into a smile. "Oh, you met Gerry? And Patrick is here too? You better thank them, Bernie. Those two are excellent party planners."

"More like party ruiners! Oh, look at this! This is terrible!! Bryce will never take me back now!!"

Kate and Niko giggled and walked back to where Roman, Mallorie and Packie were talking.

"Hey Roman!"

"Cousin! Where did you go?" They did their secret handshake.

"Oh, just doing some recruiting for Bellic Enterprises. I think I found the perfect candidate!"

Kate smiled and extended her hand. "Kate McReary!"

Roman's ears perked up and he dashed away. Niko and Kate looked at each other, confused, while Mallorie rolled her eyes. Seconds later, Roman returned, his tux back on and hair slicked back. He took Kate's hand and kissed the back of her palm softly.

"Charmed, Katherine," he said with a raised eyebrow and fake British accent, kissing the back of her palm again. She pulled it away, rolling her eyes.

"Roman..." she whined and they both chuckled. "But anyway, I was thinking that I could do some fares on nights and weekends?"

"Is when we need the most drivers!" Roman said as he took off his suit and bow tie again. "If you can come in tomorrow, we can get you started!"

"I'm free tomorrow! Although, I'm...not a very good driver..."

"Neither is Niko!"

Niko shot him a look and they all laughed.

* * *

After that, the party continued as normal. At one point, Kate challenged Roman to a game of a quarters, which of course, he accepted. The whole room gathered around the table in the kitchen and poured tiny shots and bigger glasses of whiskey for both of them. Both of them were equal opponents at first, but towards the end, the alcohol was starting to get to Roman. Kate could tell as she smirked and held up a quarter.

"Ready to pay for your wedding, Roman?" 

Roman gulped, trying not to throw up. Kate bounced the quarter on the table and it landed perfectly in her glass. She pumped her fist up and everyone cheered as her and Niko sloppily made out. Roman groaned and dropped a tiny shot glass into his bigger glass and held it up. Taking a deep breath, he started to chug it. Niko and the rest of the guys started pumping their fists and chanting in low voices that grew louder.

"Ro-man! Ro-man! Ro-man!"

Roman successfully chugged the booze and slammed his glass on the table as everyone cheered. But the cheering stopped as his face turned pale and his eyes grew wide. His head started to spin.

"Thinking about taking a trip back to the Old Country, Roman?" Niko watched his cousin warily, holding a beer.

Roman groaned again. "I think I might give Aunt Milica a..." he gagged. "call," he gagged again.

His eyes started to roll back in his head. Niko placed a hand on his chin and moved his head up. "Roman's going to throw up."

Roman nodded quickly and jumped up and ran to the bathroom as Mallorie and Kate laughed and high fived. Everyone laughed and followed Roman into the bathroom and laughed and pointed at him as he puked his brains out into the toilet.

* * *

After the game had concluded, Kate and Niko found a spare bedroom for some alone time. They smiled against each other's lips as they made out on the bed, Niko against the pillows.

"Sooo..." Kate began.

Niko smiled slightly, remembering what she had said to him on their first "date." "Sooo what?"

"Sooo you," she pecked his lips sexily.

"Sooo me what?"

They kissed hotly again, their tongues playing games in each other's mouths.

"So it looks like you found a better job instead of killing people."

"And what is that?"

"My knight in shining armor?" She suggested, playing with his shirt collar. Niko smiled as her red hair covered them.

"Does it pay well?" he mimicked her.

"When I'm off my goddamned period, it will," they giggled and kissed softly again. She lifted off her tank top and he tried to pull down her panties, but she stopped him.

"I'm bleeding, remember?"

"Oh, right...is weird when it's happening to someone else."

Kate giggled and shook her head. "You're such a goof. Come on," she got up and put her tank top and jeans back on. "let's ditch this party and go somewhere cool."

"But...this party is cool..."

"Yeah, if you're gay," she pointed at yet another dirty gay cop painting above the bed. "Come on, you gotta learn how to party like a true Liberty City resident."

Niko was confused, but got up and followed her.

* * *

The couple took the subway to Castle Gardens--Niko holding onto the bars on the ceiling with Kate wrapped around his waist, both of them smiling and giggling when they were lurched by the train--and Kate led him to some downward-leading stairs between two tall buildings.

"Kate, what is this? Some type of torture dungeon?" Niko half chuckled.

"Just come on, we're already late!"

"Late for what?"

Kate didn't respond. Instead, when they finally reached the bottom, she opened the door. The room within was dark. The stage at the front of the room was lit by blue light and a rock band played loud music. There was a bar to their right, but everyone seemed to be drinking bottles of beer. Speaking of everyone, the clientele was a mixture of punks and people in casual clothes. Kate seemed to know a lot of them and greeted them.

"What is this place?" Niko shouted over the music.

"Packie and Gerry and I come here all the time!" Kate shouted back, handing him a beer and cracked both of their bottles open. "a lot of local bands play here on Friday and Saturday nights."

Kate wrapped her arm around his waist and they both listened to the music. The band finished their song and the lead singer stepped back up to the mic.

"Hey, what's up?" he said in a low, drunk voice. "We're Liberty City State of Mind and we're gonna keep this party goin' till morning."

Kate and Niko raised their bottles and cheered and drank. The music started up again and they looked at each other and made out. This is what it felt like to be in love, to be free, Niko thought. That night, they were free with no problems. Just good music and good beer and each other. He vowed never to hurt her again and she vowed to be honest with him. But above all, it was time to have the fun that they both had missed out on as teenagers. So they did, drinking and rocking out to good music until the early morning light when the club closed.


End file.
